Heart Worth Sparking
by Tainted Flair
Summary: Alexis Versa, who's father is a police and her mother missing, runs into a certian Cybertronian. Quickly kidnapped by a worried Autobot, she is brought to their base and given two guardians. And she soon ends up falling for one of her protectors.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers at all. And no, Alexis Versa is **not **based off of the Armada Alexis. I just so happened to have used the same first name._

_Chapter: 1_

I sighed, looking over my shoulder as my friend said her goodbyes and turned the corner. _Why can't I be normal like her, _I thought to myself as I continued on towards my house, _instead of being known as Miss. Versa, Mr. Versa's daughter._

My father is a well known cop; he actually came to school to set up an alarm system so no one could break into school over night and set a bomb. I heard whispers of what people thought of that. "Who's gonna break into school? That would be better to keep people in instead of out." Walter Gevaro, the school bully, mocked.

I stopped and shifted my books to my left hand. At lest it's Friday today, I get to go see Jared, who's been my best friend sense I was in kindergarten.

I smiled at the thought. Today marks the end of our eleventh year of friendship and the being of our twelfth.

Then I frowned as I remembered what he had said in the recent e-mail he had sent me. He is going to find out whether or not he made it into the Police Department.

Don't get me wrong, if he makes it I'll be happy for him, it's only the threat that we might not ever see each other much. And if he's not careful, we might be separated until I die.

_Don't think like that, _I scolded myself, _he won't die on the job, Dad hasn't so he won't, either. _I shook my head to clear it before I continued on my way.

I turned the corner into the cul-de-sac that I lived on.... and nearly dropped my books.

"Jared?!" I asked when I saw the police cruiser sitting in my driveway. I heard a click as the driver side door opened and a eighteen year old man with short black hair stepped out. "Jared!" I exclaimed as I hurried towards him. There he stood, uniform tucked neatly under his left arm, brown eyes glowing with barely contained pride and happiness at making it into the Police Department.

"The one and only," He greeted as he embraced me. "I made it," he whispered in my ear, "without the German shepherd biting me in the butt like he did in your dream."

I laughed. Jared was one of the only friends I could hang-loose and joke with without a worry at all of what he thinks of me.

"I hoped you didn't get a close encounter with Avalanche, he only likes a few people, and if you get too close, he'll bite you.... hard." I giggled, telling the truth.

"Specking of Avalanche," Jared added, "this, here, is one of his puppies." He opened the back door and, sure enough, there was a little fur ball sleeping on the seat.

"Aw, she's adorable!" I cooed as I gently scooped her into my arms, setting my books down on the seat in her place.

"I wouldn't—" He began, "Oh, never mind, she'd probably like you."

"I take it she has her fathers characteristics on the biting?" I asked after she snapped her eyes open and snipped at Jared's arm.

"Yeah, your dad wanted me to have her.... but she won't behave for me, see." He exposed his right arm and the little bite marks that spotted it.

"I wish I could have her," I admitted, cuddling her to my chest. "I'd name her Atlantis."

"You can have her."

"But she's suppose to be your police dog!" I protested.

"Nah, I haven't gotten one yet." He replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" I exclaimed and I hooked my free arm around his waist to pull him into a one handed hug of gratitude. Then I realized something. Pulling back, I asked, "Where's my father?"

"Oh, he's on a chase, he should be home soon." Jared smiled his smug smile, "Not that that matters anyway."

I felt a slightly confused expression form on my face. "If you kidnap me I'd call nine-one-one." I joked.

"Better ready your cell phone then, cause your father told me to go ahead and take you over to my house if he wasn't back at four o'clock, and," he gave his watch a check for empathizes, "it is four o' one."

Just then I heard the familiar rumble of my fathers police cruiser pulling up behind me.

"Jared," he called out of his open window. I saw the look in his eyes that meant that trouble was amiss, "Get in your car and follow me, sirens on."

Jared gently but firmly removed my hand from around his waist. He curtly nodded his head and slipped into his car, shutting the door right behind him.

"Father," I demanded sternly, "what is so important that you are both needed?"

"There has just been news of some huge robots attacking for no apparent reason, you stay put and don't leave the house for anything until me or another trustworthy officer says so, understood?" He demanded, looking me straight in the eye.

"Please, father, let me come with you this time, it's why I signed up as a junior police, so we could work together." I begged, grabbing the door before he could put his window up and drive away.

"Victor, let her come, lest let her stay in the cruiser and watch." Jared backed me up.

"I just have to warn you, Alexis, this is not for the faint of heart." My eyes flashed as I grabbed my books from the back seat of Jared's cruiser.

"Who am I riding with?" I asked, setting my books on the table just inside the house and gently placing Atlantis on the ground.

"You can ride with Jared." My father called as his sirens turned on and he started off.

I quickly hopped into Jared's cruiser's passengers seat, barely buckling myself in before we were off, racing into the beginning of a new war.

**_Author's Note: Well, here we go, my first fanfic. Please R&R, constructive criticism is welcomed and greatly appreciated. Let me know what you think._**


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter: 2_

"Stay in the car." Jared commanded as he slipped his gun out of his glove box.

"Promise me that you will be careful." I begged as I grabbed his arm to hold it back.

"I'll do my best." He replied as he pulled his arm from my reach so he could turn the last corner.

I gasped as I saw what was happening.

There were huge robots smashing things without a care. But that wasn't what I gasped at.

At the other side of the road, driving as fast as possible, two pick-up trucks, a corvette, and four motorcycles were racing _towards _the robots instead of _away_ from them.

"What are they_ doing_?" I asked with horror.

"I don't know, just make sure you stay in the cruiser." He snapped, slamming the door shut behind him.

I unbuckled and shifted myself into a better position to see the action.

As I watched the corvette _transformed_ into a human like form and skated over as fast as he could _towards _me.

Then I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and snapped my head over to see a black and white robot that looked like it was just changing into that form, too, adding sirens, along with other modifications, to its self. It had the word 'Police' in bold, black letters on its arms.

The black and white robot jumped and latched its self onto the skating one, knocking it over so it couldn't skate.

Instead of a gun, the skating robot had swords slide out of its arms and it started swinging from the half sitting up position it was in. Then its wheels spun and it went backwards into a wall. But instead of crashing into it, it used it as a support to right its self.

That's when the black robot crouched by the police cruiser and carefully opened the door. I snapped my head over my shoulder and screamed.

The robot shushed me, its blue eyes flickering to the battling robots then back at me.

"You shouldn't be here, its not safe." It whispered.

My eyes stretched wide with horror.

"You can _talk_?!" I exclaimed, reaching for the hidden gun that Jared had left behind for me just in case I needed it.

"Yes," it replied with understanding, "and I have a name, Prowl."

"Alexis," I replied as I snapped the gun out and pointed it at the robot named Prowl. "What do you want?!" I demanded.

"I won't hurt you, put that thing away, it won't do any good anyway." He advised.

"What of the others?!" I exclaimed suddenly, "I have to help Jared!"

I opened the door I was backed against and ran.

I didn't know where I was going, but I ran on anyway.

"Wait," the black robot, _Prowl, _I reminded myself, called out, chasing after me.

"Jared!" I called as I glanced over my shoulder to see the robot gaining on me. "Father!"

"Stop," Prowl called out, "I'm trying to keep you safe."

_One thing Father always told me, never trust anyone you don't know, no matter what, unless that person proved their worth and that they're trustworthy. _I thought to myself.

Then I saw the familiar short black hair of Jared and pressed even harder.

"Jared!" I called.

He snapped his head over to look at me. "I told you to stay in the car!" He snapped.

"Couldn't," I turned and pointed at Prowl. "He opened the door, if I stayed I'd be dead right now."

"Fine!" Jared retorted, "Get behind me."

"Your bullets won't work." I told him helplessly.

Then a military soldier appeared next to us.

"_He's _not the enemy," the soldier informed, "but _they_," He added as he shot at a robot with spinning chopper blades, "are."

"How are _we _suppose to tell the difference?" Jared retorted.

"_You _don't, you leave this to us." He replied, letting loose another round.

I noticed something on the robot he was shooting and the one he had shot before. It was an insignia, of some type.

"Let me guess," I said, "the bad guys have that on them," I pointed at the triangular insignia that was on the one he was shootings' chest, "and the good guys have that." I pointed at the different one that was on Prowl.

"Yeah, actually, that's right." He sounded slightly surprised for a second, "Now get out of here."

And at that Prowl scooped up Jared in one of his hands, then he went for me with his other.

Only it wasn't his hand that scooped me up.

I looked down, startled, at the clawed black hand. I followed it up a black and white arm to see that the robots eyes were red. Then I noticed the cruel smile that formed on its face.

"Who are you?" I asked with slight fear.

"Not that it has any meaning to you, insect, but I'll answer you question only so you know your worst nightmares' name," the robot replied harshly and with indifference, as if he didn't really care much for what he was doing. "My name is Barricade."

"And not that the name of someone inferior to you and your..." I trailed off, "teammates." I guessed. "But," I continued, "my name is Alexis."

"Interesting..." Barricade trailed off.

I looked deep into his eyes and was surprised when I saw interest and amusement in his dark red optics.

"What's interesting?" I inquired.

"Just the fact that a fleshling admitted what most denied." Barricade answered with an awestruck expression.

"Put her down, Barricade," Prowl demanded with a growl.

"Why, so you could turn me into slag?" Barricade retorted, "Do you really think I'm that glitch-headed, _brother_?" He sneered harshly.

"Put her _down_!" Prowl repeated sternly.

"If you insist," Barricade growled, dangling me from one of his sharp, metallic claws.

"No, Barricade!" Prowl exclaimed as Barricade let me slip to the tip of his claw.

"Back off, or I'll drop _this_," he shook me for empathize, "thing to her death."

Prowl lowered his head and stepped aside, giving Barricade clear passage to the rest of his team. I glared at Prowl with anger at how easily he had given up.

"What?!" Jared exclaimed, "Why are you letting that... _thing_, take my friend hostage?!"

I reached up and grabbed Barricade's claw as I almost slipped clear off and to my death. Barricade looked down and, with a swift motion, moved his hand underneath my body and flexed his claw out of my shirt. I thudded onto his upturned palm on hands and knees.

"Here, keep the thing," Barricade growled with disgust as he spooned me into Prowl's awaiting hand.

Than Barricade left, without a look back over his shoulder.

_**Author's Note:** Thank's to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and/or story alerted my fanfic. You've encouraged me to post the second chapter, keep R&R and I'll keep posting._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter: 3

I watched him go with a weird feeling filling my heart, I guessed it was fear and relief at my experience and how it turned out in the end.

But then Prowl raised his gun to point it at Barricade's back. _So he _did _have a plan after all, _I thought to myself. But the feeling I had in my heart fluttered and I reached out towards Barricade.

"No, don't!" I exclaimed, "He spared me, so I spare him."

My outburst made Barricade look back to see his brother's weapon trained on him.

"We had a trade, Prowl," Barricade pointed out harshly, "I spare the fleshling, Alexis, and you spare me."

"He used my name...?" I asked with bewilderment.

"You used her name?!" Prowl exclaimed, just as startled as I was.

"What's it to you!" Barricade growled maliciously as a mace dropped from his right hand. "Now, put that weapon away, or else..."

I shivered as I saw Barricade's intention was to hit Prowl's hand, thus making him drop both Jared and I to our death, or a fatal injury.

"Just _go _Barricade!" Prowl growled back.

"Yes, please," I whispered under my breath.

Barricade nodded his head curtly and turned away, transforming into a police car.

"That looks an awful lot like my new cruiser," Jared gasped to himself as he watched Barricade drive off.

Prowl sighed as Barricade disappeared around a corner. He looked down at us, anger evident in his light blue eyes.

"I think you should come with me back to my base." He sighed as he stared down at me.

"Why," I asked boldly, "should I go with _you_?"

"I think you should meet the leader of the Autobots." He replied. "And maybe learn a little about Barricade and his team the Decepticons." He added.

"If she goes," Jared piped in, "than I go."

"No, only Alexis can come, she is the one who is in need of a guardian, not you." Prowl replied sternly.

"I'm _not _going without Jared!" I retorted as I stomped my foot on Prowl's hand.

"Fine, if you won't come willingly, than I'll just have to force you to come."

And with that Prowl set Jared on the ground and transformed, strapping me in in the passenger seat. I tried to wriggle free of the restraints, but Prowl only tightened them.

"You will get in trouble, not only is it a crime to kidnap someone, but my father is also a police, he's Mr. Versa!" I threatened as I shot an angry glare at the rear-view mirror.

"I think your father would thank me for this," Prowl replied as his tires squealed and he blasted away from the battling robots.

"What of your teammates?" I asked mockingly, "Won't they be mad at you for ditching them?"

"Mad, yes," Prowl replied, "but understanding, too."

I growled as something sharp came out of Prowl's glove box.

"I only hope you'd be the same." He added as the needle went into my right shoulder.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked just before I passed out cold.

"I'm sorry, Alexis, but it was the safest way to transport you back to the Autobot base."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter: 4

I woke up to low muttering that I couldn't understand. I cracked my eyes open to see robots surrounding me. They seemed excited and mad.

I tried to get up but groaned as my stiff muscles protested. I lay back down and blinked slowly.

There was a hush that fell over the room as a few of the robots leaned in for a closer look.

"Back up, you're gonna give the girl a heart attack," A gruff voice cut in, "now, out, everyone!"

There was a few moans and groans of protest but they complied.

I opened my eyes wide from the squint I had them in.

There was still one robot that stood over me, one I didn't recognize.

"Sunstreaker, out!" the voice demanded as a wrench collided with the robot's head.

The robot scurried out as fast as he could, cursing under his breath in a language I didn't recognize.

A sigh that I recognized followed after the cursing faded.

My head shot up, painfully, to look for the source of it. Then I saw a huge robot that was blue with what seemed like red flames.

"Who are you?" I asked it, forcing myself painfully into a sitting position.

The robot walked over to what I lay on and bent down so he was at eye level with me.

"I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, protectors of Earth and its inhabitants." The robot replied.

"Why did you kidnap me? What are you going to do to me? And why _me_?!" I screamed with pure hatred. Then I climbed to my feet and swayed, lightheaded.

"I didn't kidnap you, Alexis, Prowl did, and he's being punished for that. As for what we're going to do to you..." Optimus looked over at Prowl and received a nod from him. "We're going to assign you a guardian, because Prowl said that Barricade showed an interest in you during the battle."

"And what if I don't _want _a guardian?" I sneered.

Optimus looked taken aback by the venom and hostility in my voice.

"I understand that you're upset at the fact that Prowl kidnapped you, but he did that with good intentions in mind," he threw the last part at Prowl. Prowl shrugged it off.

"Well, then, who's my guardian, then?" I inquired as I glared at Prowl with pure hatred for everything he's done that turned my whole life upside down.

"Well, I need to think about it for a while, I'll tell you once I decide." Optimus replied, "But for now Prowl will show you around."

Both Prowl and I whipped our head over to look at Optimus in surprise.

"But Optimus!" Prowl protested.

"No, Prowl, you need to suffer the consequences of what you've done." Optimus interrupted him sternly. "Now go, take Alexis for a tour of our base."

Prowl growled but did as his leader commanded, scooping me up ruffly into his hand and exiting the room.

"I can't believe I got myself into this," Prowl growled under his breath. I smiled a cruel smile, knowing how to get back at him.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter: 5

"Who's that?" I asked as I pointed at a silver colored robot with what seemed like cat ears on his head.

"That's Jazz, he's a sabot, and he doesn't get along with everyone." Prowl growled as he went to exit the room. I could tell that Prowl and Jazz didn't get along so I decided to embarrass Prowl.

"Hey Jazz," I called out, "I think Prowl's scared of you!"

The robots in the room giggled and it pressed me further when Prowl hissed at me to stop.

"Either that," I crowed, "or he has a _big _crush on you!"

Jazz looked up confused as the robots in the room cat-called to Prowl.

"Thank you," Prowl growled with sarcasm, "Like I needed that."

"And he just told me he wanted to go out with you!" I cooed.

I watched Jazz for his reaction to the news and he just slide a visor down over his eyes and went back to what he was doing.

Prowl put his free hand over me as if hiding me would make everyone forget I even existed. I giggled as I was swallowed up by darkness. Prowl just growled as he noticed it wasn't going to keep me quiet.

"Sorry, I thought you left your diary out open to that page so I could read it." I pushed as I taped on one of his fingers.

"That's a little _too_ far," He growled as he walked out of the room.

"What's _wrong _with you!?" Prowl exclaimed as the door shut behind him.

"What's wrong with _you_?" I countered, "Kidnapping me for no reason and taking me here, lest I can do is make your life miserable in return."

Prowl snarled something under his breath as he stalked away, forgetting that leaving would do no good since he was carrying me.

"Um, where are we going?" I asked, startling Prowl. I laughed as he jumped and looked down at me with a startled look on his face.

"I can't believe I have to give _you _a tour of our base." Prowl just muttered to himself.

"Yeah, but it's what you deserve for kidnapping me," I retorted sourly, "and it gives me a chance to get back at you."

"Well, you've done your job well." Prowl praised with venom edged sarcasm.

"Oh, don't worry, Prowl," I reassured him, "I'm not done with my job till I'm in the grave."

"I can fix that," Prowl growled as he put his hand over me threateningly. I didn't flinch or twitch even, knowing that if he _did _kill me that he'd get in _big _trouble with Optimus.

I smiled sweetly as I put my hands behind my back innocently. Prowl's hand fell limply to his side as he saw the change in my features, scowl fading insistently. _Looks like acting innocently works on robots too, _I thought to myself as I tried to figure out what I was going to do next.

_I need to find a way to trick him into setting me down on the ground so I can escape, _I thought to myself, trying to come up with an escape quickly, before Prowl could recover from the shock of my change in posture.

Then I remembered that I was wearing the earrings that my mother had given me on my birthday. They were very special to me because they were the first earrings I got after getting my ears pierced; not only that but they were hand made by my mother and had designs that decorated both of them.

I reached up in a quick motion and 'accidentally' knocked my right one loose and it fell to the ground. A few seconds later it tinged as it hit the metal floor. I looked down quickly to make sure I couldn't see it then grabbed my ear letting a panicking state take over.

"My–my earring!" I exclaimed as I stared hyperventilating, curling up into a tight ball.

"Is it important?" Prowl asked with concern.

"Ye–yes," I stuttered, "my mother got it for me for my birthday."

"Here, lets look for it," Prowl suggested as he bent down and I stepped off his hand.

The moment he had his back turned I made my move. I ran full sprint for the opposite direction he was facing, not fully stopping to think it through as to what I was doing or where I was going.

And because I wasn't prepared with a well thought through plan, the worst thing that could of happened happened.

I turned a corner and literally collided with a yellow leg that belonged to a yellow robot with black racing stripes.

My breath came out in a big whoosh of pain as my nose seemed to break.

I landed heavily on the floor with an audible thunk.

The robot stopped dead in his tracks and looked down at me with a quizzical glare.

"Ah–hh, ouch..." I moaned after the few seconds of shock from the impact faded away.

The robot bent down to get a closer look at me and to see if I was alright. I groaned when he reached towards me, both from the pain and the fact that I didn't want him to touch me, at lest not then and there.

"Who are you?" I groaned after I got my breath back.

"I could ask you the same." He replied as he squinted at me as if that would help him recognize me.

"Alexis..." I breathed barley, closing my eyes tightly as a tremor of pain rocketed through my body.

"Bumblebee," the yellow bot replied, "you don't look so good."

"Don't–feel–so–good." I replied in painful gasps as I slowly reopened my eyes.

"I should get you to Ratchet—"

"_No!_" I exclaimed, gasping from the pain it left behind.

"Fine," Bumblebee replied, taken aback by my outburst, "at lest let me take you to your guardian." He insisted, "Who _is_ your guardian?"

"Uh..." I trailed off, not knowing whether or not Prowl was considered my guardian right now or just my _tour guide_. "No one." I chocked out.

"Do you have a temporary one, at lest?" Bumblebee pressed, looking around to see if he could find my guardian in sight.

"Uh..." I started, "Prowl?"

"Oh," Bumblebee sounded impressed, "he actually got one?"

"Uh–h..." I began with uncertainty. "Got one?"

"He actually got a—he's actually a _guardian_?!" Bumblebee half-asked, half-answered as he looked around again. "Where is he, anyway?"

"Uh–hm..." I uttered as I stared at him, "I kinda lost him."

"Hmm, first day on the job and he already has failed to keep you safe." Bumblebee mused. "All well, I'd better get you back to Prowl before he starts worrying over where you are."

"Uh, he's not my official guardian." I added truthfully as I forced myself into a sitting position. "Oh, _and _he kidnapped me from my hometown and brought me here for _no _reason."

"Ah, Optimus made him your guardian to punish him." Bumblebee stated as he gathered what happened.

"Yeah, he has _no _idea how good of a punishment I am," I giggled painfully, "I embarrassed him in front of many other robots—"

"Cybertronians." Bumblebee corrected.

"Fine," I sighed, "I made many Cybertronians laugh at Prowl because I shouted out to Jazz that Prowl has a crush on him."

Bumblebee made this shrill sound that I realized was suppose to be laughter.

"Let me guess, most of the time you guys speak in a language called Cybertronian?" I asked, just to be funny.

"Yep," Bumblebee replied, "Now it's time I got you back to Prowl." And with that he scooped me up, gently, and took me back the way I had come before I could protest.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Authors note:_** **_Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been having internet problems. Hope you enjoy this chapter and please write a review and tell me what you think of it so far. _**

Chapter: 6

I sighed as I walked off Prowl's hand and onto the table I was on when I first woke up in the base. It was Monday already and I had been forced to spend almost my entire weekend in this dreadful place. I was happy to be going home, but worried about who Optimus had chosen to be my guardian.

_I hope its not Prowl, _I thought to myself repeatedly as I looked around to see who all was in the room.

I recognized a few of them from my wondering around the base. There was Ironhide, one of the pickup trucks that was at the battle on Friday, Bumblebee, the yellow and black robot who's vehicle form, I found out, was a Camaro, Prowl, of course, Ratchet since this is the infirmary, and last but not lest Jazz.

Jazz was chatting with Bumblebee about something in Cybertronian when Optimus entered the room. Everything went quiet admittedly as everyone turned to him to hear the news.

"As we all know," Optimus began, "Prowl had taken this female human, who's name is Alexis Versa, to our base without either her nor the teams permission."

A few mummers rose but stopped as quickly as they had begun.

"So, I believe that, because of his uncalled for actions, that Prowl should be the guardian of Alexis," Optimus let his suggestion hang in the air as a few of the Cybertronians in the room talked among each other.

When the conversations subsided, it was Bumblebee who spoke, "I don't think that's a good idea, Optimus, for they don't get along very well, and on Friday I caught Alexis trying to slip away from Prowl."

That caused another wave of arguments to rise. Optimus silenced them this time.

"But," he began once everyone was settled down, "what would be Prowl's punishment, then? And who would be Alexis' guardian if Prowl isn't?"

A few Cybertronians muttered their opinions on that subject before another Cybertronian stood up and voiced his idea.

"What if Prowl shares guardianship with someone else?" It was Jazz, "That way Alexis has two guardians whom take turns watching over her."

There were a lot of nods and many of the Cybertronians voiced their approval. Prowl was one of the few who disliked the idea, but the only one who voiced it.

"Well, if I _were _to share the responsibility," Prowl began, causing everyone to stop talking and look at him, "then who am I to share it with?"

That caused multiple outbursts of argument. I groaned as I grabbed my head, _all this shouting is giving me a headache, _I thought to myself.

"Quiet down!" Jazz bellowed as he noticed the pain on my face, "she's got a headache."

The shouting came to an immediate stop. The Cybertronians all turned to face me with either concern or annoyance.

"Thanks..." I gasped to Jazz as my head seemed to spin, causing me to crouch down into a sitting position, cradling my head in my hands.

Optimus looked at Jazz with what seemed to be interest as Jazz looked around to see a few angry glances thrown in his direction.

"I think I know who you will be sharing your guardianship of Alexis with, Prowl." Optimus declared as he stared at Jazz.

Jazz looked up to see his leader staring at him and looked around to be sure it was him. Everyone parted from Jazz, thus leaving him alone in the stare of the Autobot leader.

"_Jazz_?!" Prowl asked with disbelieve.

Jazz looked at Prowl with anger evident in his glare. Prowl shifted his weight from one foot to another. Jazz removed his glare from Prowl to look at Optimus.

"Yes, Prowl," Optimus' reply was stern but calm, "Jazz."

_This will be interestingly fun, _I thought to myself.

"All in favor," Ratchet asked.

Almost every Cybertronian in the room raised his or her hand and said '_Aye_'.

"Its settled, then," Optimus sighed, "Prowl and Jazz, you two take Alexis back home, and you will _both _guard her, for you are _both _her guardian."

Jazz and Prowl nodded their heads with understanding before they both put their hand down for me to climb onto.

Prowl shot Jazz a glare with a growl, and Jazz just pulled his hand away from the table, shuffling his feet in embarrassment as he looked away to watch the Cybertronians leave the room.

I reluctantly clambered onto Prowl's awaiting hand. Once I was secure Prowl left the room, closely followed by Jazz.

Once outside Prowl set me down on the ground and transformed, opening his door for me to get in, only I wasn't looking at him.

I stared, opened mouthed, at the gray, little Pontiac Solace that was the transformed Jazz.

"Get in!" Prowl growled as he revved his engine impatiently.

"Wow...." I gasped. A laugh came from within the newly transformed Jazz.

"Get in _now_!" Prowl growled, honking his horn.

"What a _sweet _ride." I committed to Jazz.

There was an annoyed sigh behind me and the sound of Prowl changing back to his alt mode. I squealed as his hand grabbed me and he transformed again, buckling me into the passengers seat.

"Oh, please, no, I don't want to sit in the passengers seat again." I whimpered as I stared warily at the glove box, half expecting to see the needle emerge and go into my shoulder again.

There was a sigh as the passengers seat leaned backwards. I screamed, Prowl stopped and put it back to where it was before.

"What now?" He asked with a sneer.

I sighed as I calmed down from the unexpected lean backward.

"You startled me," I whispered as I stared into the rear-view mirror to see Jazz following right behind us.

"Oh, did I?" Prowl asked without any concern, "Well, I'm sorry." He sneered.

"Hey!" I exclaimed as I glared at the steering wheel, "It's not _my _fault you _kidnapped_ me!"

Prowl growled something in Cybertronian under his breath_. _And then the glove box opened up and I squealed.

Prowl hit the breaks, causing me to jerk forward and collide my head with the now opened glove box.

"_What is it_?!" Prowl snapped.

I took a few gulps of air before answering him, "The... The glove box... Don't... don't hurt me."

The seat underneath me relaxed a bit as Prowl sighed with understanding and annoyance.

"I wasn't going to," he replied soothingly, "I was just opening my glove box to give you this..." And as he spoke, my right earring floated out of the glove box and over to me.

I reached out with my hands cupped, palms facing up, to catch the tiny silver hoop.

"Oh!" I exclaimed with happiness, "Thank you," I cradled the tiny hoop to my cheek with happiness evident in my eyes. I immediately slipped it back into its rightful place hanging from my right ear.

Prowl tensed again, and I froze, my gaze snapping to the steering wheel.

"What is it?" I asked warily, "What's wrong?"

"Can I see your other earring?" Prowl asked with indifference.

"Um, sure?" I replied as I removed my long, wavy dark red hair from the left side of my face and tucked it behind my ear.

A few moments passed by in utter silence, with Prowl staring off into space and me staring at his steering wheel.

"What's the hold up?"

The call from Jazz shattered the silence and both Prowl and I jumped out of our state of thought. Prowl gave himself a shake, knocking me back and forth with the motion.

"Nothing." Prowl replied before he started off again.

I wasn't convinced with his answer, though.

"What do you mean by 'nothing'?" I asked him after a minute had passed.

"What?" Prowl asked with confusion at first, "Oh, I meant what I said."

"Uh-huh...," I crossed my arms across my chest and fixed the review mirror with a piercing look, not at all convinced with his claim. "Then why'd you get all tense and ask to see my other earring?"

Prowl continued driving for a good minute before answering, "I tend to get tense a lot, its a side-affect from the war that's been dragged on."

_Well, _I thought to myself, _I'll give him points for trying._

"Uhh-huhh..." This time it was more exaggerated with seriousness evident in the undertone. "So... when are you going to tell me the truth?"

"What truth?" Prowl asked, then he seemed to realize something that was worth asking, "Where did you get your earrings?"

I decided that this was a good time to annoy Prowl and answered matter-of-factually with, "Same place I got my necklace."

I felt Prowl rumble with rage underneath me and bit back a smug smile.

"And where did you get _that_?" He growled as he pulled onto a freeway.

"Wouldn't a car driving its self with a teenage passenger look kinda, I don't know, outta place?" I asked with sarcasm, avoiding his questions like he did mine.

"Your avoiding my questions!" Prowl exclaimed with outrage.

"And you mine!" I countered, feeling the urge to kick his dashboard in anger.

"_Where DID you get your JEWELRY_?!" He exclaimed with anguish and outrage.

I jumped at the sudden hostility in his tone and stared —wide eyed— at his steering wheel. Then I decided that a compromise was in order to get both our questions answered.

"Fine, deal with the 'no driver' problem and I'll answer _part _of your question, answer what was wrong earlier and I'll answer the rest of it, deal?"

There was a moments hesitation, then, "Deal." He sighed and something shimmered out of the corner of my eye and I looked over to see a hologram of a human sitting in the drivers seat with his hands on the steering wheel 'steering'.

He was roughly around twenty-nine, with a somewhat hansom face. He had white-blonde hair and dark blue eyes. I noticed the Autobots insignia tattooed on his right arm just below the white and blue tee shirt he was wearing. He was wearing dark blue jeans with black boots that came up about half-way to his knees.

"Cool..." I commented distractedly. "And?"

"Your earrings have Cybertronian symbols on them, a saying known in every universe, it would seem."

"Really?" I asked in disbelieve, "what do they say?"

"Well, your right one says 'Never give up' and your left one says 'Never surrender'..." Prowl trailed off, then continued, "But sometimes that's only just a fragment of the saying. Can I see your necklace?"

I decided to cooperate this time because I was curious as to what my necklace said. I pulled it out from under my shirt and held it by the chain just above the metal shape. The shape looked like the symbols that decorated my earrings, so it must be a word in its self.

"Hope..." Prowl announce at a glance at my necklace.

"That was my mothers—she's the one who actually hand made my jewelry— favorite saying she would always repeat to me, 'Never give up, Never surrender, Hope'..." I whispered in awe.

"So that's where you got them? Your mother?" Prowl clarified.

"Yeah..." I answered indifferently as I fumbled with my necklace, twisting it around so I could look at it with newly opened eyes.

"What is her name?"

"Was," I quickly corrected him.

"Was? That's a peculiar name for someone..." Prowl pondered.

"No, she's dead." I stated darkly.

The air inside of Prowl seemed to become somber as Prowl gathered what I had told him.

"I'm sorry..."

"Its alright, you didn't know... but to answer your question, her name was Martha." I decided it best to change the subject from her being 'past tense' now. "Why, did you know her?"

"You mean 'do' I know her?" Prowl corrected.

"No, did, she's dead, remember?" I knocked on his dashboard teasingly.

"No..." Prowl gunned his engine and raced down the freeway. A GPS popped up and turned on, startling me.

"What's the GPS for?" I asked him tentatively as many different colors loaded onto it. There were a few purple ones, two red ones, and, far in the top right corner, a light green one that blinked.

"It's not any ordinary 'earth' GPS," Prowl stated proudly, "it tracks Cybertronians, and displays them and their team, see the red ones," as he pointed them out they started to blink, "Those are Jazz and I. And these purple ones," they, too, blinked in turn, "those are the—"

"Decepticons, yeah, I know, the color of their insignia is the color of their beacon, am I correct?" I interrupted him just to show off my knowledge. "But, what I want to know is what that green one is...?"

"That," Prowl replied with seriousness, "is your mother, Martha."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter: 7

My jaw dropped as I gathered the information I had just been given. That the fact that my mother was _not _dead as I had been lead to believe. Then I thought about the sad look on my fathers face and I quickly discarded the thought.

_She wouldn't leave him for no reason, she loved him too dearly... _I told myself as I gathered my shock and pushed everything into the back of my mind.

"She's _alive_?!" I gasped with shock and disbelieve at the fact that Prowl was trying to tell me that everything I've been told about my mother was a lie. She is alive and she writes in the Cybertronian language, not dead and a normal jeweler making pretty designs to get people entranced into buying them. "But _how_? And why didn't she come home? Or at lest tell me the truth before she left?"

"That," Prowl laughed as he exited the freeway, "is for _her _to tell and _me _to fade into the background of."

I glared at his hologram and watched it laugh, and smiled beside myself. I've never heard him laugh before now, and by laugh, I mean _really laugh_, like he was doing then and there.

"_Where are you going_?!" The radio blasted Jazz's voice, demanding and amused at the same time. It didn't seem like Jazz could manage a commanding voice without a hint of something like amusement hidden within it.

But nonetheless, I jumped from the suddenness of his voice loud and in surround sound.

Prowl continued down the off ramp and stopped only when he reached the bottom, and that was for a red light.

"_Prowl_!" Jazz demanded, pulling up beside us, "_Where are you going? This is near where Martha is stationed_!"

I perked up at the mention of my mothers name. Jazz noticed this and his hologram's eyes narrowed, looking at Prowl in suspension before the light turned green and we were off again.

"_Prowl,_" Jazz asked in a demanding voice. I was surprised that there wasn't a hint of anything else in his tone this time.

Suddenly I sensed the air of command flow from Jazz through Prowl's radio and I felt Prowl's tension underneath me. I looked over at his hologram with alarm, worried as to what his response will be to Jazz's demand.

Prowl's hologram was 'gripping' the steering wheel tightly, eyes fixed on the road with a distant look in them. He looked like someone who you would snap your fingers inches from their nose. I had to resist the urge to do so.

A beep from the GPS distracted both Prowl and I, diverting our attention to the blinking green dot that seemed to move closer with each passing second.

Then we stopped at a stop sign and it grew closer still. I noted the direction in which it was closing in from and lifted my eyes from the GPS and fixed them on the spot that the owner of the green dot should be in a matter of seconds.

"_Prowl..._" Jazz trailed off. I took a quick glance at the side mirror to see Jazz's hologram staring at his own GPS.

"I know, Jazz," Prowl assured him in a distant voice. "and so does she."

It was then the GPS announced something in Cybertronian, and at the same time that a dark green 1995 Ford Thunderbird entered my sight.

The driver had short wavy reddened brown hair that came down to just below her chin and, even at a distance, I could tell her eyes were a dark green, lighter then the car she drove, but not by much.

"Mother..." I whispered as I recognized her right away. Last time I had seen her, though, her hair reached as far as her waist, like mine did till I just got it cut so it was just past my shoulders. "You're alive..."

Then I jumped as a familiar female voice sounded though Prowl's speakers.

"Jazz, Prowl," My mothers voice greeted, yet with an air that I haven't ever heard from her before now. "What brings you two here? Does Optimus need me?"

"No, Martha," Jazz answered though the radio, "I don't know why we're here..."

His voice was cool and questioning as a hidden question was directed at Prowl.

"Your daughter just told me a story about how you were supposedly dead. And she was kind enough to show me the earrings and necklace that you have made her for her birthday." Prowl answered cautiously before someone honked at us for sitting at the stop sign.

My mother shot a glare at Prowl before replaying with, "Follow me," before she turned to be in front of us as we drove forward to do as she requested of us.

"Where is she taking us?" I asked Prowl as I leaned forward in my seat to stare at my mothers face though her review mirror.

He didn't answer me; he didn't have to, for as I was asking the question she turned into a parking lot with a fence and a 'No Trespassing' sign. She drove up to a warehouse, the biggest and furthest one from everything.

But instead of stopping and parking outside of it as I expected her to, she drove right in though the little garage door that was just opening.

But that's not what caused me to almost faint. The fact that, as she entered the warehouse she _disappeared _from her seat, as did Prowl's and Jazz's holograms.

"Uh-um" I stammered with panic as I looked down to reassure myself that I was still there. "Where- where'd she- where did she go?"

"I didn't go anywhere, darling," My mothers voice came, echoing around the empty warehouse, "I'm right here."

I heard Jazz transform behind me and glanced in the review mirror to see him following on foot.

"I always found driving faster than walking," I mused to myself as I caught movement in front of us and I snapped my head to find out what it was that was moving.

I was just in time to see my mothers car _transform _into a Cybertronian. It seemed to have a slim build to it, more female than male, and when it turned to face us it had a black face mask so the only part of its face I could see was its very light green eyes.

I noticed there was a sword at its hip and two guns on either side of it. It had two black horns that curved outwards and down, like the pigtails my mother was wearing her hair up in the day she left and never came back.

Its face mask retracted to show a surprisingly familiar facial structure.... It was the same facial structure as my mothers.

Then it was Prowl's turn to transform, and I ended up sitting in his hands, again. This time I didn't squeal, but that was probably because I was on the inside and was brought out as Prowl transformed; not scooped up suddenly and enclosed in a Cybertronian's alternative form.

I stared in wonder at the newly transformed green Cybertronian as I noticed that my mother was still nowhere to be found.

"Where is my mother?" I asked the green transformer as I looked around for, and failed to spot, her anywhere in the warehouse.

"I'm right here," the green Cybertronian said in my mother's voice, "This," she gestured at herself, "is why I didn't come back. This is why I was thought dead."

I stared at the green robot with disbelieve, how could she expect _me _to believe _that_?

She sighed and looked down at her feet, reaching up a hand to try fiddling with her horns. She flicked her hand much like how my mother used to, but it didn't budge the horn a bit, all she accomplished was making herself look like a fool.

"I see you haven't gotten used to the metal 'pigtails'." Jazz laughed as he came to stand beside Prowl.

"Shut up," the green Cybertronian snapped halfheartedly as she rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment.

I looked on in amazement as I put the pieces together, every action she did, every word she said, just the way she responded to everything, reminded me of my mother.

Prowl chuckled at the green Cybertronian's reaction and earned a death glare in return. I remembered that glare very well. It was the same glare she had given Jared when she caught him doing just about everything that made him, well, Jared.

Drinking from the milk jug, throwing mud at me when I was wearing my white dress I hated so much, dunking my head and throwing me in the pool, and just about anything that he did that was 'not civilized'. The funny thing is that once _she _turned around after he pushed me into the pool and pushed him in after me.

Of course, then father grabbed her and they tried to shove each other into the pool and, in the end, father jumped and brought her in with him.

That day was one of the best I have ever had with everyone I cared about. Just remembering how much fun we had that day brought a small smile to my face. The green Cybertronian noticed this and smiled, too.

"Ah," she laughed, "see, you _do _remember that time by the pool." She sighed, probably thinking about other good times we have had before. I looked her in the eye and decided what I was going to do and what I was going to say.

"What..." I started, then trailed off to rephrase the question, "How did this—if it truly _is _you—come to be?"

The Cybertronian looked shocked at the fact that I accepted her claim so easily, but at the same time relived that I wasn't going to be too stubborn to give her a chance to explain and defend her claim, as well.

"Um," she began uncertainty, "I wasn't _quiet _expecting you to let me explain so soon..." she trailed off, "I haven't come up with the _best _way to explain this, yet..."

"Well, try your best," I encouraged her, "and if I don't understand, I'll tell you so the moment the sentence is over."

She smiled and nodded her head, looking around as if for somewhere to sit to tell the story. She looked behind her into another room and sighed.

"Might as well find a comfortable place to sit, this might take awhile..." She warned as she turned and walked toward the room, "Come on, follow."

Prowl and Jazz immediately followed suit, staying just about a pace behind her. We entered a somewhat more lively room that had huge metal crates arranged into furniture like replicas and melted into a fixed state.

"Wow," I gasped under my breath as I noticed how flawless the metal furniture was. Prowl chuckled silently at my amazement. "Shut up." I growled at him.

He fell completely silent, but the laughter still shone in his eyes.

The green Cybertronian took a seat in a metal arm chair and Prowl and Jazz sat across from her. I squirmed, trying to get in a comfortable sitting position to listen to what she had to say. I couldn't get very comfortable, though, sense I was trying to sit on a metal hand.

The green Cybertronian noticed my restlessness and frowned at Prowl, as if disapproving of the fact that he didn't offer me any help. Prowl gave her a look of helplessness before he looked down at me, frowning at my squirming and restlessness.

I stopped squirming to look up at him with a glare of discontent and irritation, causing him unease as he mentally stumbled over what he could do to make it so I would stop squirming and be able to listen to the story with my full focus intent on it.

He then did something that I thought he had too much pride to even think of doing; he looked to Jazz for advice. I did the same, only to see how Jazz reacted to what Prowl did. Jazz didn't seem very surprised; actually, he seemed to be the exact _opposite _of that.

Jazz nodded his head and gave Prowl a glare, as if Prowl should already have known what to do.

Prowl gave him a look that was very close to pleading, that it must have been halfway over the boarder. Jazz sighed with irritation before he reached over and—gently—plucked me from Prowl's opened hand.

Prowl look at once confused, embarrassed, and grateful at the action Jazz had took. Jazz carefully turned his hand around so I sat in the middle of his palm. His hand wasn't anymore comfortable than Prowl's had been, but at lest I was in _Jazz_'s hand and not _Prowl_'s.

Then Jazz pulled something out from the side of his torso, and steadily held it next to me so I could climb onto it. It was a seat from his alternative mode.

I carefully scrambled onto it and, unconsciously, buckled myself in. But then I gripped the sides tightly as Jazz moved and set the seat down gently on the arm of the chair he was sitting in. He gave Prowl a final glare before turning his attention back to the green Cybertronian, nodding his head for her to begin telling the story.

"Okay, what would you like to know?" She asked me.

"Anything and everything," I replied, excitement bubbling inside of me.

"Uh, okay," She rolled her shoulders as she began to tell her story, "Lets start with the beginning." She decided.

"When I was young, about twelve years old, I was just starting to make my special jewelry for friends and family. One day, when I was out searching for any scrap metal I could find out near my old forty acre forest land that had been passed down for generations, I just happened to be outside and far from any life, nothing could be seen for miles, and what I _could _see was the forest of trees that my father had forbidden me to go into that surrounded every side of me.

"I had been there before, and I had found a hidden cave there that had an air of power surging within it. I had explored it out of curiosity and had found a lot of raw ore metals of many different kinds. I decided to collect a few of the ores and take them back with me to the house.

"That was my motivation for making the jewelery, and I came back to the cave once every month to collect more for the next month. I was surprised that, after I started making the jewelery for my friends and family, everyone seemed to get along and my friends never got picked on, so I decided that it was my destiny to make jewelery and sell it as a jeweler to those interested in my work.

"But," She stopped and looked at me to make sure I wasn't confused. Reassured, she continued, "But, one day, when I was going to the hidden cave, something... happened."

I waited patiently for her to continue, but she didn't, she had grown stiff and her eyes were distant and unfocused. I was immediately wary and concerned and I looked at Jazz anxiously. Jazz didn't seem very worried, and when I looked at Prowl, he wasn't, either.

Then the green Cybertronian snapped out of the trace she was in and shook her head. She gave everyone an apologetic look and relaxed in the chair again.

I gave her a moment before I decided to press for further information and get her to continue her story.

"So..." I began hesitantly, not wanting to upset her in anyway, "What happened?"

She looked at me in confusion before she understood what I was asking her. She looked to Jazz and he nodded, as if giving her permission to continue.

"As I was saying," she started, "something happened that one day I went to the hidden cave.

"It started with the metal ores inside glowing a very bright light that gradually grew brighter and brighter to the point in which I had to leave or forever be blind.

"Once I was outside I noticed it was very dark, and I was confused and worried at that fact. I checked the time and it was only five thirty pm. I looked at the sky in wonder and noticed this decent sized meteor heading straight at me.

"I did the only thing I could think of and ducked and covered my head with my arms. I heard it impact with the ground behind me and was knocked forward by the force of the it. I got up and turned around to see a huge crater and I edged toward it and peered in.

"Right in the middle of the crater was the meteor, red hot. I found myself drawn to it and before I knew what I was doing I was sliding into the crater and making my way tentatively over to the meteor.

"Once I was close enough to feel the heat radiating from it I could also feel two separate powers trapped within it. Then it started to rain and the crater turned to steam and once it had cleared I could tell that the meteor was actually a metal ore.

"I was drawn to it and picked it up, unconsciously separating a chunk from the rest, and in doing so I separated the two powers from one other." She ended the first part and looked at me for my reaction.

"And that was the beginning?" I asked her, hearing my stomach growl. I ignored it and waited for the explanation on how she ended up becoming a Cybertronian.

"Yes," she replied, "and the power in the bigger ore is was what caused this," she motioned her hands downward to empathize her point, "to happen."

"How?" I asked.

"When I wore every last piece of that ore shaped into jewelery, it started to cut into my skin. I noticed this when I was out in the middle of nowhere and I stopped the car and got out to try and stop the bleeding, but it was too late.

"Once the metal had dug deep into my skin and made contact with my bones it started to spread all over my body from there, then it painfully ripped through my bones and skin, which is why my DNA was on the shredded remains of my once was body.

"After it had fully destroyed everything but my heart, brain, and eyes it started to grow and electrocute the remaining non-metallic parts, thus transforming them into the parts that the Cybertronians have instead of what humans have." She concluded, looking me in the eye, waiting for my reaction to her story. "Do you believe me now?"

I swayed from all the information I was just given and it took a second for me to gather myself enough to answer her question. But instead of answering her's, I asked my own.

"The other metal ore, the other power, it's the one you used for my jewelery, isn't it?" I asked her, feeling my earrings and necklace vibrate with power as I spoke the words.

A sullen expression changed her features as she looked at her feet. Jazz and Prowl seemed to lean forward, as if they would like to know about the second power in the smaller metal ore, too.

"Yes, it is," she muttered, and then she quickly added, "But you don't have to worry about it because you are not wearing every piece of the metal ore the second power is in, so it can't overtake your body."

Jazz and Prowl relaxed a little and I felt awkward and reached up to touch my right earring. Jazz leaned forward again and narrowed his eyes.

"Then where _is _the rest of the metal ore?" Jazz asked quizzically as he let his gaze pierce her to her spot.

"Well, I only gave her the earrings and the necklace, I also made her a ring and an anklet." She confessed. Jazz released her from his glare and she sighed in relief.

"But _where_?" Jazz pressed.

"Somewhere hidden," my mother replied, "Somewhere that no one can get them. A different hiding place for both of them. Only I could have gotten a certain one, but now I can't."

"Because your too big." I supplied for her as I grasped the meaning. "Can you tell me where?"

"No." She replied sternly. Then she explained, "I don't want the same thing to happen to you on accident."

I ducked my head in understanding, but somehow I was wanting the rest of the metal ore for the power to be reunited.

"And don't let the power of the jewelery you _do _have corrupt you into reuniting every piece with some of the power in it." She warned as an after thought.

"Fine." I growled at her.

Mothers. They _always _ruin the fun.

**_Authors note: So, what do you think about that chapter? Tell me any likes, dislikes, tips, anything in a review._**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter: 8

"Why won't you come with us?" I asked my mother in disbelieve at her rejection. I just wanted to spend some mother-daughter quality time together, like we use to.

"Because," she sighed, "I don't want you to have to explain _three _cars being with you, it'll be hard enough with just the two."

"Maybe I can get Jared to help me?" I offered, staring at her hopelessly.

"Jared," she muttered, "How is that immature jokester?"

I laughed. 'That immature jokester'? That's a new one.

"He's doing fine, he made it into the police department." I informed.

"Wow, that's unexpected, I thought you said that he was going to get bit in the butt by Avalanche if he tried?" She asked with a laugh.

"Yeah, about that... I just didn't want him to never be able to hang out with me again." I confessed, that 'dream' happened a _very _long time ago.

"Ah, I told your father that you had some of him in you other than his nose." She laughed and I joined in with my own laughter. Even Prowl and Jazz let a chuckle slip.

"I do, don't I?" I joked, "Well, looks like this'll be our little secret, eh?"

I just couldn't resist adding the last part in, because she always had scolded Jared for slurring 'this' and 'will' and she hated it when he talked that way.

"Hey," she noticed what I was attempting to do, "That's _one _of the reasons why I didn't like him."

"Too bad, I sorta adopted that from him." I countered.

"_Sorry to interrupt,_" My mother's radio transferred Jazz's voice, "_But we are behind schedule now._"

"Well, I guess this is goodbye, then." I began unwillingly.

"Don't worry," my mother reassured, "I'll come around for the holidays to visit you."

I gave her a smile before I turned around and raced back the way I had came. Once outside, I turned and waved. She smiled and waved back.

I slipped into Prowl's passenger seat and buckled myself in with a yawn. Prowl noticed that I was tired and decided to, slowly, lean the passenger's seat backward.

"Go ahead and take a nap, we'll be on the road for awhile." He advised softly. I nodded my head drowsily before my eyelids slid down and I was fast asleep.

"Hey, wake up, we're in the town we found you in, where do you want us to take you?" Prowl's voice cut into my dreams.

"Hmmm...?" I moaned, turning onto my back as he started to bring the seat back up. "Uh... Jared's house, he's probably worried sick."

"Where is Jared's house?" Prowl asked with both irritation and amusement.

"Oh, that's right, you don't know." I giggled to myself before telling Prowl Jared's address.

"Okay," Prowl announced, "We'll be there shortly."

Once we pulled up in front of Jared's yard we were rewarded with both the police cruiser and his everyday car being parked in his driveway.

Prowl and Jazz parked at the curb in front of Jared's house and I got out, rushing over to knock on his door. I knocked the same way I always did, but Jared still looked through the blinds to see who it was.

"Hello?" He asked, his face twisting up with a questioning expression.

"Hey, Jared, it's me, Alexis." I supplied as I shifted weight from one foot to another.

Jared opened the door, but he wasn't staring at me, he was staring at Prowl and Jazz.

"What are _they _doing here?" Jared asked tightly, not taking his eyes off of Prowl.

"Apparently the Autobots think I need a guardian," I began, "So I have two."

"Why two? And why would you need a guardian?" Jared asked, staring daggers into Prowl's alternative form.

"I don't know the answer to either of those questions." I answered truthfully, "At lest, not that I'm sure of..."

Jared dragged his glare from Prowl and Jazz to look at me with sorrow in his eyes, a pleading look that I hardly ever see him using. I knew something _had _to be wrong, but what?

It was then I noticed that he was wearing a long sleeved jacket that was his lightest one he owned, but it was still too hot out for long sleeves.

_What could he be hiding? And what would be worth hiding from _me, I thought to myself.

"Why are you wearing a jacket, it's too hot out for that?" I asked him, sticking my arm inside to find that it wasn't much cooler inside than it was outside. "Silly, your going to give yourself a stroke."

He motioned me inside and I stepped in and made my way to his living room. I sat down on the couch as he entered and I stared at him questioningly.

"Can I get you something to eat or drink?" He asked nervously as he shifted weight from one foot to the other.

My stomach growled and I answered with, "Sure, but something quick to make, like a sandwich or something."

"I'll be right back." He promised before he disappeared into his kitchen to prepare a snack for his guest. I waited patiently for him to return so I could ask him my questions I had about how different he seemed to be acting.

He soon returned with two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and he handed the plate to me before he handed me a glass of cold milk. I nodded my thanks before digging into the first sandwich, savoring the flavor of _real _food, and not junk food.

Once I was finished with the first one I took a good drink of the cold milk before starting on the second one. Jared chuckled and I stopped and looked up to see him smiling. I swallowed my mouthful and asked him suspiciously, "What?"

"Oh, nothing," He laughed, "just the fact that you normally complain about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and only ever eat one."

"You usually complain about the heat and have it so cold in your house it could snow." I countered before stuffing the last of the sandwich into my mouth and drinking the rest of the milk.

"Well, we need to talk."

"I agree," I shifted on the couch so he could sit down and patted the cushion next to me. He sat down with a sigh, shifting around to face me so we could see each other as we talked. "Let's begin with why your wearing a jacket and your air conditioner isn't on, thus making your house a boiler?"

He sighed. "My air conditioner was sabotaged last night."

"By who?"

"I don't know," he looked at his right arm, then sighed as he pushed the jackets' sleeve up to expose a metallic tattoo, "but it's probably the same person who gave me this."

Jared had a silver medal tattoo of the Decepticons insignia branded on his right arm in the middle of his first muscle that was just below his shoulder.

_**Author's Note: Sorry about the long time it took for me to finally get this one up. I finally got Internet connection again. As always, I wish to thank those who reviewed, and i hope you will do so with this chapter, too. Thanks for putting up with my long delay.**_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter: 9

I gawked at the perfect, metallic replica of a Decepticon insignia. I tried to form words to ask what he was doing with a _Decepticon _insignia branded on his arm.

And when I finally managed to form words, all I was able to choke out was, "Why?"

Jared shifted and took the jacket off, not needing it now that he had nothing to hide. I was very ridged with both fear and worry.

Fear of why someone—or something—would do this to my best friend. Worry for the answer to which why Jared was branded with a Decepticon insignia.

"I don't know," Jared answered bitterly, "I don't know why _any _of this is happening to _either_of us."

I hung my head, understanding his bitterness and that he wasn't meaning to take his anger out on me.

"That would make two of us, then." I admitted softly.

Jared gently cupped his hand under my chin and raised my head so he could look me in the eyes. I allowed myself to make eye contact with him to see the seriousness and concern that shone in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked him after I had made eye contact with him.

"What ever it is that did this to me," he whispered cautiously, "I think it's work here isn't finished yet..."

"Why would you say that?" I asked him, matching the tone of his whisper.

"Because," Jared's whisper was hardly audible this time, "it hasn't left yet. It's hiding somewhere in the house."

"How do you know?"

"Everything was locked when I woke up, and there was no other way for anything to get into my house." Jared replied before looking at the silver tattoo.

I felt like something was watching me and snapped my head over to a computer desk that sat in a corner. There I saw a silver boom box sitting in a way that suggested that, if it was alive, it was listening in on our conversation. But that wasn't what threw me off. No, the fact that Jared didn't listen to music much, especially in his house, but even then he usually used his television, not a little, silver boom box.

"Since when did you have a boom box?" I asked, stabbing my chin in it's direction as I did so. Jared's head immediately snapped up to look at me with confusion.

"Boom box?" He asked, as if clarifying that he had heard me correctly, "What boom box?"

"That one, the little silver one, sitting there on your desk." I pointed at it and looked at Jared for his expression.

"That's not _my _boom box," Jared muttered under his breath, clutching his left hand over his metal branded arm, "I don't have a boom box."

I looked at him through narrowed eyes, inspecting him as if he was going crazy. He wasn't looking at me, though.

Then Jared suddenly sprang to his feet, grabbing the broom that was leaning on the arm of the couch as he did so.

Startled, I turned to see what could have caused him to have reacted the way he did. I met four glowing blue eyes that were on a narrow, metallic, insect-like body.

I was on my feet in a split second, just as Jared grabbed my arm and yanked me behind him, baring the broom as if it were a sword. The little spider-like-bot took a fighting stance and—after some sharp, round disk-like things had slid down into his hands—charged.

"No you don't," Jared growled as he took a swing at the fast approaching, terror bot.

The little silver Cybertronian ducked the first time, but took a heavy blow from the back swing. He was sent flying into Jared's room and he ended up crashing, face first, into the wall which Jared hung all his swords that he collected throughout his whole life since he was six. The silver Cybertronian cursed in Cybertronian before the rough impact that caused the whole house to shake and the wall of swords to come falling down, littering the silver robot with swords, some sharp and some dull.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" Jared yelled after the Cybertronian had made impact. Jared turned around and grabbed my shoulders, turning me around and urging me hurriedly out the door. The moment we were outside I realized that, through all the chaos and hasty retreat, Jared had left his jacket inside the house.

"The Decepticon insignia," I warned the moment we were racing across the grass in Jared's front yard.

"Oh," Jared nearly stopped, but I could tell he fought the urge to do so, "I'm as good as fried the moment either of your 'guardians' catch even the _slightest _glimpse of it."

"No, they won't hurt you, I won't let them," I tried to reassure him as we reached the sidewalk.

"_What's wrong?_" Jazz asked immediately.

"There's this little silver boom box Cybertronian that attacked us!" I explained with exasperation, "It had _blue _eyes! I thought you guys were supposed to be the _good _guys?!"

"The Autobots are not to blame for anything Frenzy does. He may have blue optics, but he's no Autobot." Prowl growled, already having transformed the moment I had said 'boom box'.

"Heads up!" Jazz warned, almost fully transformed into his Cybertronian form, "You guys get to the other side of the street and stay put, we'll handle this."

"Wait," Prowl suddenly ordered with surprise, "there's no need, looks like Frenzy's trying to scamper away, probably back to report to Barricade."

"Barricade?" I asked with surprise, "I hardly believe that he would send Frenzy here to _spy_, especially on a human."

"Alexis is right, Prowl," Jazz dropped his fighting stance and watched Frenzy try to slip out of the house unnoticed. "I just wonder what he _was _after if he wasn't there under the order to spy..."

"Well, so do I," Jared piped in, then he removed his hand he had put over his arm to hide the Decepticon insignia that Frenzy had branded into his upper arm with metal. "One thing I _do _know is that he branded _this _into my arm with metal and then sabotaged my air conditioner."

"That isn't anything like what Barricade would send Frenzy out to do," Jazz pondered, "So we now know that Barricade defiantlydid _not _send Frenzy here to do what he did and whatever else he might have done."

Prowl scoffed as Jazz finished what he was saying. I glared at Prowl through narrowed eyes, causing him to stare into my eyes with his defiance-filled ones. I crossed my arms and jutted my jaw in defiance, trying to out last the bigger Cybertronian. Prowl matched my defiant stance with one of his own.

He clutched his hands into fists and stiffened them down by his side, spread his legs a bit more apart, and grimaced down at me. It might have looked more defiant had it been directed at someone taller or even the same size as him, but it almost looked funny with how much he had to glare downward to be glaring at me.

Jazz and Jared watched the two of us try to stare down the other, even Frenzy was transfixed by the 'staring contest'.

"Okay," Jazz demanded sternly, "stop it you two, that's enough, this is exactly why you two weren't allowed to be left alone, one of you were bound to kill the other."

Neither of us even twitched in acknowledgment of Jazz's demand. I hardly even saw Jazz's ear twitch with irritation at being ignored.

"Fine, the hard way it is," Jazz muttered under his breath before stepping deliberately in between us. Turning to face Prowl first, Jazz put his hands on his hips and glared at Prowl from under his vizor.

Prowl didn't hold Jazz's glare very long, he almost immediately hung his head in submission. Jazz nodded his head in approval before turning around to face my still defiant stance. Though this time he didn't place both his hands on his hips, but he crunched one into a fist and hung it by his side, leaving only his left hand on his hip. And instead of a disapproving glare I received a glower of superiority, and clearly shown dominance.

But I was used to glares of dominance, I've adapted to my fathers' and my mothers' glares when I give them defiant looks, I've found two things that worked, one was dropping all the defiance from my features and adopting an innocent look and the other was to switch my defiant stance to a different one, or, if I'm not at my highest level of defiance, to jump to the most defiant I could be without being considered talking-back.

I didn't want to look like I was submitting, and acting innocent wouldn't work this time because I wasn't trying to get something I wanted. I was earning my rank of respect and teaching them how much they can push me until I either snap or submit. Acting innocent would only cause me to be pushed to the bottom and make it look like I'm easily convinced to do or not do something.

I decided to stick my left foot outward and point the toes off to the left, but I kept the rest of my body facing Jazz and placed my hands on my hips as I shifted all my weight to my right foot. I kept my jaw jutted out and I hardened my glare into a glower.

Jazz seemed at once surprised but unsurprised, as if he expected defiance from me, but not for me to be as good at it as if I've been given the same look he was giving me my whole entire life. Jazz decided that then would be a good time to remove his vizor and squint at me. I just narrowed my eyes and imagined he was Prowl so I could send some of my own dominance out onto the playing field.

I chose Prowl to use first because I was just a bit more dominant than he is, and I was curious whether showing dominance would even out the playing field a bit more. I saw Jazz's ear twitch, but whether it was with surprise, amusement, or worry, I was not sure. But I decided to try and push forward some more.

This time I pictured Avalanche and how he obeyed every command my father and I gave him. I pushed that dominance out and noticed Jazz's tightly clenched fist loosen and his ear twitched again.

I could hardly hear Prowl and Jared placing bets on who will win the 'staring contest', but I picked up enough to know that Jared was betting on me to win and Prowl on Jazz to win, by a long shot. Knowing that Jared still had faith in me enough to place a bet on me gave me even _more _determination, and I decided to picture all my friends and I walking together, with me more in front than anyone else.

I bundled everything that made me feel like I was dominant together and forced it all out and around me, making the air surrounding me an air of dominance. I stared at Jazz, watching him as he slowly lost his defiant stance.

His ear twitched several times, then his hand that was in a fist fell apart and just hung by his side limply, and that's when he just let both his hand on his hip fall to his side and the vizor slide back down into place.

"Alright, way to go Alexis!" Jared whooped as he jumped up from sitting on the curb to throw his hands in the air.

"Dang," Prowl muttered, "She outlasted Jazz, there's very few who ever have done that, and one of those few is Optimus."

"Wow, I've never came across someone as dominant as you, and the fact that your human..." Jazz trailed off, lost in his amazement at my beating him.

"Never?" I asked, confused, "What about Optimus?"

"Well, aside from him, the only other Cybertronians that can stare me down are Decepticons." Jazz replied, amazement still evident in his tone.

"Only Decepticons...?" I gulped, "Like who?"

"Oh, Starscream and I tied, but other than that, pretty much everyone else has beaten me, and I was basically _slayed _by Megatron, but that's understandable, since he _is _the leader of the Decepticons." Jazz answered, still quite excited about being beaten for some odd reason.

"What's got you all hyped up?" I asked him, concerned that he might have just gone completely crazy.

"You showed more dominance than Optimus normally has," Jazz explained, he was all but flying with his uncontrolled excitement, "and I could sense that it wasn't even _close _to half as much dominance that you could manage."

"What?!" Jared, Prowl, and I exclaimed at the same time, glancing at each other in disbelieve of what we had just been told.

"Um, should we allow Frenzy to hear this and then go and report it back to the Decepticons?" I asked as I watched the little spider-bot go scurrying down the sidewalk, not nearly as fast as he could.

"No," Both Prowl and Jazz replied with a questioning look.

"Well, then, we'd better stop him," I advised as I pointed at his small form that was even smaller because of the distance that was now between him and I.

"Let's go catch us a bug." Jazz called out, transforming into his alternative form, opening his doors for Jared and I to climb in and buckle up.

Then we were off, and chasing the so-called 'bug'.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter: 10

"Where is he _going_?!" I asked with exasperation as we raced down the street, trying to both fit in and catch up with the spider-bot.

"Probably to whom ever sent him on the mission he was just on." Jazz suggested.

"I wonder who that is, if not Barricade." Jared pondered.

"_Wonder no more, look_!" Prowl called over the comm-link, causing both Jared and I to snap our heads up and look around.

"Time for you two to get out and let us handle this." Jazz announced as he unbuckled our seats and opened the door as he stopped and skidded, throwing us out the opened door and onto the street before transforming.

"Who is it?" I asked as people started screaming and running away.

"Trouble," Prowl announced, "It's both Megatron and Starscream."

"Which one's which?" I asked.

"The F-22 Raptor is Starscream, and the Cybertronian jet is Megatron." Jazz answered, "Please ask the rest of your questions later."

I ducked my head in shame but immediately brought it back up to see what was going on.

"Ah, brother, I see you _are _behind this." Prowl growled as a police cruiser came purring down the road.

"Behind _what_?" Barricade sneered as he transformed, "I'll I know is that Frenzy had been taken for a secret mission, of what, I do not know, and I do not care."

Prowl growled and went to throw himself at Barricade but Jazz stopped him. "We need to take care of Frenzy."

"It's too late for that now, Auto_scrap_," a dark, menacing voice called out, "I have just been told everything, I know of this... fleshling's, unusual ability, with the overpowering dominance. If she wasn't a fleshling, I'd say she'd make a great Decepticon."

"You won't lay a claw on her!"

It wasn't the threat that startled me, it was who it had came from. Not only had it came from both Jazz and Prowl, but also Barricade.

"What?!" Megatron growled in outrage, "How _dare _you defy _me_?!"

"I've got a better idea..." Barricade countered, not seeming very confident that this would get him out of trouble.

"Then, tell me and then follow through." Megatron sneered.

Barricade was then in front of both Jared and I and he reached his clawed hand down and snatched up Jared.

"Give him back!" I called out boldly.

"Why should I?" Barricade sneered.

"Its not him your after, its me, is it not?" I asked, glaring up at him. He was smiling cruelly down at me. I decided that now would be as good a time as any to test out my 'dominance powers'.

I immediately pushed my dominance outward and sensed something bizarre, he didn't have the feeling of hatred surrounding him as I thought he would. No, all I could sense was caution, worry, and the oddest thing I sensed was the need to protect.

"I thought Decepticons only destroyed?" I muttered in amazement.

"Shows how much you know about Cybertronians, let alone Decepticons." Barricade laughed, but not a cruel laugh, more of a... laugh laugh.

"You just... laughed?" I gasped in utter astonishment.

"I laughed because your funny," Barricade chuckled, "and I don't want you to get hurt..."

"Yeah right, brother." Prowl sneered as he tackled Barricade.

"Stop, you clumsy Autobyte!" Barricade snarled, "Your going to make me crush your charge's fleshy friend."

"Barricade!" Megatron growled, "What's _taking _so _long_?"

"I'm a little _occupied_!" Barricade snarled as he kicked his brother off of him and got up. He looked over at me and whispered with regret, "If you go to that warehouse," he nodded towards a worn down building, "at midnight tonight, and you come _alone_, we'll let your friend go unharmed, if you'll come with us willingly."

"I'd come right _now_." I admitted, "And why are you being nice to me, anyway?"

"You remind me a lot of somebody I knew, she was killed by an Autobot... actually, Prowl killed her, because he never wanted his little brother to have anything he wanted, I wasn't even a _Decepticon _yet, either. He's what caused me to become a Decepticon." Barricade admitted.

"What about your friend, was she an Autobot, too?" I asked.

"No, she was a neutral, Prowl believed her to join the Decepticons, or so he said, so he took a sword to her throat." Barricade replied solemnly, hanging his head.

"_Barricade_!" Megatron demanded with anger.

"Coming, my Lord." Barricade called as he turned and took off towards Megatron. Once there, he handed Jared over to his 'Lord' and transformed before speeding away.

Megatron started transforming as he laughed cruelly, "I have won yet again, Autobot, and I _will _win again,"

Then both Megatron and Starscream took off, into the air, with Jared as their prisoner.

"You could have stopped him," Jazz pointed out softly as he came to kneel beside me.

"Stopped who? And how so?" I murmured with indifference.

"Barricade, you could have made him put your friend down, if you demanded it with all your heart." Jazz answered.

"But what if my heart was the one thing that prevented me from doing so?" I asked, looking down at my hands and fidgeting with them.

"What do you mean by that?" Prowl perked up, narrowing his eyes at me.

"I mean," I took a deep breath, "What if your heart took your enemy and made you feel sympathetic for him instead of angry at him?"

"Then your enemy _must _become your friend," Jazz replied with understanding.

"Or be eliminated." Prowl added, mounting his gun onto his shoulder, "I can take care of Barricade for you, all I need is the perfect moment to—"

"No!" I interrupted, "No one's killing _anyone_!"

Both Prowl and Jazz looked at me with bewilderment.

"What?!" Jazz asked in disbelieve, "You don't have the authority to command us to not kill someone who needs to be killed."

"First off," I answered with a sneer, "I _do _have the power to do so. And second," I smiled, "Barricade is _not _someone who _needs _to be killed."

Jazz and Prowl looked at me in confusion and concern.

"Then why would he be a Decepticon? And why would he be just as bad as one?" Prowl sneered, earning a glare from both Jazz and I.

"All he needs is a family, and a brother to love him and treat him the way a brother should." I answered, smiling at Prowl with a sweet yet cruel smile, "Something he never _quite _got in his childhood."

Jazz looked at Prowl, understanding what I meant, "You need to makeup with your younger brother, Prowl, its what family does."

Prowl scoffed. "Family!" He spat, "Ha! Barricade's a Decepticon now! Family means _nothing _to him anymore! Except maybe a group of people you could back-stab in cold blood!"

"Prowl!" I scolded him for his outburst, "You _will _apologize to Barricade for killing his friend in cold blood yourself."

Jazz's face became a look of pure horror after I announced what Barricade had told me. He turned his horror struck face to Prowl.

"You did _what_?!" Jazz exclaimed in disbelieve.

"It _wasn't _in cold blood, I was trying to _protect _Barricade from the very thing he is today, a Decepticon." Prowl explained, giving me a hard look, "And how do you know of it, anyway?"

"Barricade told me." I answered, half tempted to stick my tongue out at him.

"And you'd _trust _a Decepticon?!" Jazz asked suspiciously.

"No," Prowl turned to Jazz, "A Decepticon would _never _lie about what turned them, it gives them reason to continue fighting instead of fleeing."

"It can be fixed," I reassured Prowl, "All you have to do is forgive him and forgive yourself, then you try to get him to forgive you and, sooner or later, he will end up forgiving himself, too."

"Why would Barricade tell you of his friend?" Prowl asked, "Did he say why?"

"He said..." I thought back to what he had said, "He said that I reminded him of her, after I had asked him why he was being nice to me and protective of me."

"Ah," Jazz inquired with a thoughtful look, "I see he _does _still have some Autobot left in him after all."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter: 11

I had trouble convincing Jazz and Prowl to let me take a walk alone so I could go to the warehouse and meet up with Barricade. I had told them that I needed time to think through everything that has happened over the last few days. They agreed—with some reluctance—to allow me to go alone, so long as I was back in a few hours.

_A few hours is all I need, _I thought to myself as I stopped outside the gate to the warehouse.

I took a deep breath and looked at my watch. It was eleven fifty-eight, I was only a few minutes early. I looked around to make sure no one was around and then slipped into the vacant parking lot.

I raced to the warehouse and stopped just outside of the shadows of the huge building, not wanting anyone to snatch me from within the thick blackness. It was soon after I got there that I heard the familiar roar of the F-22 Raptor and the Cybertronian jet.

I gulped as they transformed and landed right in front of me. Starscream had Jared this time, and he held him between both his hands, using his claws like bars to a cage.

"I'm surprised that Barricade's plan actually worked." Starscream muttered in disbelieve, "How do you think he found her weakness so fast?"

"Shut up, Starscream," Megatron growled, "I don't want you scaring it, the last thing we need is a few of those pathetic Autobots trying to come to its rescue."

"But of course, my Lord." Starscream agreed with a dip of his head, but then he cast his menacing blood red eyes on me, almost causing me to shrink back in fear.

"Your quiet a smart little insect," Megatron began, finally acknowledging that I was there.

"Where's Barricade?" I asked, surprised that I managed to keep my voice from quivering in fear.

"It doesn't matter," Megatron replied, obviously not wanting to wast time talking about matters other than what was present.

"It does to me," I pressed, "Where is he? He said to meet him here."

"Actually, he didn't say who you'd be meeting here." Starscream piped in. Megatron gave Starscream a look and Starscream clamped his mouth shut. I had to bite back laughter at the reaction Megatron's look had gotten from Starscream.

Then the familiar purr of an engine pulling into the vacant lot drew my attention away from the two towering Cybertronians. I then heard the transformation sequence that meant Barricade was there.

"I said to meet 'us' here, so she was expecting me to be present as well." Barricade clarified as he stepped into view and stopped next to me, but still leaving some distance between him and I. "I saw her two guardians following her, but she didn't know they were..." Barricade informed.

"Great, for a moment there I thought they had finally gained some sense to give up the war and retreat while they still had their dignity intact." Megatron growled. "Any more coming other than those two?"

"Yes," Barricade slipped a slight smile in my direction, "There's also a dark green Ford Thunderbird, I do believe I've heard that her name was once Martha."

"Mother," I gasped under my breath.

"That would be correct, Barricade, but it is Forestflame to you Decepticons." My mother announced as she appeared out of the darkness, closely flanked by Jazz and Prowl. "I call the coward who is holding the jokester captive."

"Check, I'm going to take care of some," Prowl paused, probably disgusted with the word he used, "family business."

"And I've got a score to settle with the tall Decepticon punk." Jazz growled, referring to Megatron.

"Now that I think of it, better you take Screamer and I take Megatron." My mother, Forestflame, advised.

"I guess." Jazz sighed with some remorse. By then they were fully transformed and going after their called targets.

"Finally you didn't spit the word 'family' out as if it were the most bile thing you've ever tasted." Barricade growled, crouching with arms at his sides, ready to grab Prowl and throw him.

"Wait, brother," Prowl growled, ducking as Barricade took a swing for Prowl's head, "I want to talk to you, not fight."

"Well, that'd be a first, and there's almost _never _a first with you, and no second chances, either." Barricade snarled as he took a second swing. This time Prowl grabbed Barricade's arm and twisted it behind Barricade's back.

"Just give me a chance!" Prowl whispered in his brother's ear, "I wanted to apologize for killing Oceansurface, I was only trying to protect you, not break your Spark."

"Your lying!" Barricade snarled, trying to wriggle out of his older brother's grip, "How can you expect me to believe you."

"How can I prove to you that that is the truth?" Prowl asked, gripping Barricade's arm tighter.

"For starters, letting go," Barricade snarled, "Your going to pull my arm off!"

Prowl immediately let go of his brother's arm and Barricade started to fall forward. Prowl grabbed Barricade's shoulder and righted him before Barricade crashed into the pavement.

"Now what?" Prowl asked, cringing, not very happy with having to try and prove himself to his younger brother.

"You..." Barricade stuttered with disbelieve, "You let me go? And then saved me from falling?"

"I said that I was trying to protect you, did I not?" Prowl asked with amusement.

"But I thought you were just trying to gain my trust so you could use me..." Barricade admitted.

"We've got a problem here." Jazz called, I looked over to see Starscream take off with Jared still in his hands.

"He said since you didn't come alone now your friend suffers..." Jazz informed everyone.

"If he kills Jared, we kill him," I replied, "I don't know what else he could do."

"He could keep him as a pet." Prowl countered sadly.

"No, Decepticons wouldn't do that, would they?" I pleaded hopelessly, directing my question to Barricade.

"Its not unheard of." Barricade replied with a shake of his head, "But they usually end up dead within a week for numerous reasons."

The loud crashing sound drew everyone's attention over to see Megatron with his foot pressed onto my mothers back. He had slammed her into the hard concrete and pinned her there.

"Let her _go_!" I demanded, unintentionally throwing a lot of dominance into my command.

Megatron laughed harshly, "You have a lot to learn, fleshling," he threatened, "one thing is to never try to demand something from someone who is more dominant than you are."

"Let my mother go!" I shouted again, this time with less dominance then the last time.

"Mother?" Megatron asked with curiosity, "What do you mean? This is a Cybertronian, and you... you are a weak little insect."

"She _was _human, once—"

"What she means is that she thought that her hologram was like a motherly figure to her." Prowl interrupted with a warning growl.

"Your lying," Megatron snarled, putting more weight onto my mothers back, "Tell me the truth, or she dies..."

I shivered, but forced myself to keep my mouth clamped tight.

"She found the last of the Cybertronian ore that turned organic things into Cybertronians." Jazz half lied.

"It works?!" Megatron growled with surprise, "Hmmm, maybe we can find a way to copy it..."

"No!" I cried, already knowing what he was intending to do, "I wont let you take her!"

"Your welcome to come, too." Megatron sneered, bending down and checking to make sure that Forestflame was unconscious before he heaved her onto his shoulder. "Barricade, get the girl and let's go."

"Her name's Alexis." Barricade growled, looking at Prowl. Prowl put a comforting hand on Barricade's shoulder.

"Leave, if you wish brother, but I offer you a second chance." Prowl admitted before stepping aside, giving Barricade a clear path to me. I would have panicked, had I not known that Barricade would not hurt me.

He took a few steps towards me, paused to look over his shoulder at Prowl, who gestured towards me, indicating that he wouldn't stop Barricade if he chose to obey his "Lord's" commands and take me.

Barricade turned back to me and winked the one eye that only I could see. I forced myself not to smile, already guessing what it was he was about to do. Barricade reached down and scooped me into his hands.

Jazz gasped and went to attack Barricade but Prowl stopped him. Barricade looked over at his 'Lord' and waited for his reaction.

"Pathetic Autobots!" Megatron sneered, "Excellent work, Barricade, now lets get out of here."

"No," Barricade declared, staring his once-was-leader in the eyes, "I'm not going anywhere."

"You dare defy _me_, Barricade?" Megatron sneered with disbelieve.

"You have no power over me anymore, for I am no longer a Decepticon." Barricade declared, dominance clearly evident in his tone. I shot all the dominance I could muster up out to aid both Barricade, and my next demand.

"Give me back my mother." I growled, staring into Megatron's blood red eyes.

"What would you do if I don't?" Megatron sneered.

"Just give me back my mother!" My snarl was like a gun shot. But it didn't effect Megatron.

"Good bye, Barricade, have fun on the _losing _side!" Megatron cackled darkly before he took off with my mother still slung over his shoulder.

"No," I whimpered, collapsing onto my knees and sobbing into my hands, "I don't have much family left now."

"Of course you do," Barricade comforted me softly, gently stroking my back with a clawed finger, "You have us, and we are as good a family as any. No one here gets along all the time, yet we wouldn't do anything to hurt you, and _that _is what family is like. Family will do whatever is in their power to keep each other safe, even if it may hurt them mentally in the process."

"It's, good to have you back," Prowl admitted happily as he clasped Barricade on the shoulder, "brother."

"You can do better then that," I pressed, urging Prowl to do what he intended on doing in the first place.

Prowl stuck his tongue out at me before he turned Barricade around to face him and wrapped his arms around his younger brother.

Barricade looked surprised and unsure of how he should react, but in the end he returned the brotherly hug.

"Group hug, Jazz, get over here." I called.

"Nah, I'm good where I am." Jazz replied as if I were suggesting it.

"Should we tackle him?" Prowl asked. Barricade nodded his head and they turned around and started to chase Jazz around the vacant parking lot. We all laughed, pushing what had just occurred to the back of our mind for the time being.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Author's Note:**__**Thank you everyone who has taken your time to review my chapters. And I wasn't quiet expecting as much of a response as I received, but I'm happy and excited to know that what started as just writing for my own entertainment also entertains many others as well. As always, I'd love it if you were to leave your likes and dislikes of what you've read so far. Thanks again.**_

Chapter: 12

"Barricade!" I exclaimed as I tried to get around him to my guardian that day. It was Tuesday, and I had to get to school. I went to go around him and he moved to intercept me. "Stop it, I have to go to school."

The black and white police cruiser chuckled, apparently having a little bit too much fun messing with me. But this time he didn't move to intercept me when I went around him. I sighed.

"Can't wait until next week, huh?" Prowl laughed. It had been agreed that both Prowl and Jazz were to switch off every week, and Barricade would come whenever Prowl did.

"No, I just wish you two would stop teaming up on me," I growled at him, "It's not fair."

That caused both Prowl and Barricade to break out laughing. I joined them. Even though we didn't get along sometimes, we were still very good friends.

"Okay," I checked my watch, "Great, we're going to have to hurry."

Prowl was off the moment I cleared the door. Even though he joked a lot, he was still very serious. Which made me feel comfortable with him, even though we almost never got along.

"Just behave, and keep Barricade away from the school, or people will start getting suspicious." I advised as I slung my bag over my shoulder and raced off to catch up with my friends.

"Hey, Alexis, how was your three day weekend?" One of my friends asked as I reached them.

"Chaotic," Was all I could sum it up to be.

"I'd think it would have been good, but I guess chaotic could be possible..." She muttered with confusion.

"Oh, Tiffany, of course it was good," I reassured her, "Just very... eventful."

"Oh, and that car you came in, its pretty awesome, is it one of Jared's?" My friend asked, fixing the ponytail that her black hair was falling out of.

"No," I replied solemnly.

"What's wrong?" My friend asked, looking at me with concern in her dark blue eyes.

"Nothing," I lied, trying to seem like I was just day dreaming and shook myself out of it. "Just kind of tired."

"Yeah," Tiffany agreed, "That's one of the problems with three day weekends."

"Yeah," I nodded my head, that's a good excuse if I end up falling asleep in math class, again.

I managed to stay awake through the whole school day, but I was slowly making my way to Prowl.

"How was school?" Prowl asked as I got into the passenger seat, setting my bag in my lap.

"Boring." I moaned, my eyelids drooping shut.

"I see that your tired." Prowl observed. I just moaned again, already almost asleep. "Don''t worry, you'll be home soon enough, then you could sleep in your bed."

"I'd beg to differ." A cruel voice growled rudely. I lifted my head to see a man, about twenty years old, in all black with black hair and crimson red eyes.

"Blackout!" Prowl growled.

"Great, now I'm going to end up getting expelled for having a deadly weapon on school campus!" I exclaimed in outrage. "Can't you just follow us somewhere else?"

"No," The man whom Prowl had called Blackout replied darkly, "The more damage to your normal life, the better."

Just as he was finishing up his last sentence a black helicopter dropped from the sky, transforming as it fell. Then the man disappeared, leading me to believe that the Cybertronian that had fell from the sky was Blackout.

"Great," I sighed, "Don't transform here, peddle to the metal, get somewhere away from any large population."

"That's just what any Autobot should do if possible." Prowl replied, kicking it into reverse and exiting the school parking lot that way. Then he turned sharply once we were on the main road that circled the school. He cleared it and took off full blast down the street, leaving Blackout to transform and catch up.

"_What's going on?_" Barricade asked as we flew past him. He pulled out on to the road immediately after we passed, nearly crashing into the car behind us.

"He's going to get us arrested." I groaned, burying my face in my hands.

"It's Blackout," Prowl announced, "He's following us."

Barricade dropped back slightly and slowed his pace to match ours, still following.

"_What are you planing to do?!_" Barricade asked sourly, "_He's one of the best fighters in the Decepticon ranks!_"

"Lead him away and take him on two-to-one." Prowl replied calmly.

"_While Skorponok tries to clip Alexis' head off her shoulders?_" Barricade growled over the comm-link, "_No, we'll need backup._"

"And who do you suggest we call for—"

"_Jazz._" Barricade interrupted.

"Jazz, we're going to need backup..." Prowl announced over the comm-link right away.

"_Be right there._" Jazz replied immediately.

"That was a little bit _too _easy for him to be fleeing, he never flees, in less ordered to do so." Barricade pondered, watching Blackout's retreating form.

"Can we _please _go home now?" I asked with a yawn.

"Of course," Barricade exclaimed, whirling around to face Prowl and Jazz. "He was here to find out where Alexis lives!"

"That doesn't explain why he retreated so soon." Jazz pointed out.

"He didn't use Skorponok," I pointed out, "So he probably left Skorponok back at the school to hack their network and find out where I live and my phone number. He could be meeting Skorponok back at my house, or moving away and using my phone to track us."

"Then we must get rid of your phone." Prowl announced, putting his gun away.

"Or we could use it to our own advantage, an ambush, maybe?" Barricade suggested.

"All I know is that I'm so tired that I'm about to faint." I informed them as I swayed slightly.

"She needs somewhere to rest." Prowl pointed out matter-of-factually.

"Barricade, take Alexis somewhere safe, Prowl and I are going to make sure the house is safe enough for her to stay in." Jazz ordered.

Barricade nodded his head and gently picked me up before transforming and going in the opposite direction of my house and school. And, inside of Barricade's alternative form, I fell fast asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter: 13

"Are you alright?" My father hurriedly asked, rushing over to inspect me. "I heard that one of those robots that attacked the city a few days ago was just at your school."

"Yeah," I mumbled, not as much from being tired as just worn down, "What happened, I got out of there as fast as I could?"

"The military came and chased off the robot that they described as a metallic scorpion. They also said that it left all too willingly and that they bet that it got what it was after." My father informed, hugging me tightly.

"I got homework," I announced, patting my father on the back in an apologetic way.

"It's okay," My father assured me, stepping back, "Grades are important, very important, especially if you plan on having a good job."

"I thought that that was what college was for?" I joked weakly.

"Of course," He laughed, "But you need good grades, and lots of money, to get into a good college."

I continued up the stairs, not bothering to come up with a comeback for what he had said. I sighed, tossing my bag onto my chair in front of my desk. I then fell on to my bed, tears leaking silently down my cheeks, as I buried my face into my pillow and tried to keep myself from breaking down to avoid having to explain why I was crying to my father.

I perked up when I heard a beep come from my phone. I sat up and grabbed it from the side table I had set it on when I tossed my bag on to my chair. I checked to see what it was and it said that I had a new e-mail. I clicked the message to view it and I was surprised with who had sent it.

"?" I gasped, blinking slowly and opening my eyes to see that it was truly there.

'That's not your homework, is it?' The message asked.

I immediately went to reply. I paused for a moment, making sure that my curtains were closed. They were, and there was no other way that I knew of that Barricade could have used or done to find out what I was doing.

'How would you know?' I accused, 'You don't even know what I'm doing up here.'

I sent it, anxiously awaiting his answer. My phone beeped again and I immediately checked it to see what he had responded with.

'I can sense that you're crying,' He had replied, 'Why?'

I sniffled and clicked to respond. My fingers flew across the full key board as I typed.

'I'm just very upset,' I admitted, 'I've lost both my mother and my best friend last night, and I'm just... angry at myself,' I wiped my eyes, 'for going to the warehouse and then having Megatron drag the two of them back with him. If I had just handed myself over sooner....'

A sob rocked me and I sent the message to Barricade, rubbing my eyes. I curled up on the bed and waited for the phone to ring again. When it did I checked to see Barricade's response.

'It wasn't your fault,' I could just hear the reassuring whisper of Barricade's dark voice, 'no one can predict the future, and even if someone could, it will happen, one way or another.'

I nodded my head in understanding and set the phone aside. I got up and went over to my bag and retrieved my homework from it. Once I had all that I needed I sat down on my bed and lay my books next to me and sent Barricade a quick 'Thank you' before I started on my homework.

But before I could start, I heard scratching at my door, followed by a little whimper and I jumped up and opened the door. Atlantis scampered in immediately, yipping with happiness at seeing me again. I closed the door and picked her up gently, cuddling her to me as I made my way over to my bed, then setting her in my lap as I began my homework.

Soon after, I heard the soothing rhythm of a sleeping puppy. I looked down at Atlantis and smiled as she started to snore. I was feeling much better now that I had my fury friend with me.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter:14

"But why can't Barricade stay when Jazz is here, too?" I asked, looking at both Prowl and Jazz. It was Jazz's week to watch me, and Prowl had just started to leave with Barricade following him.

"Because, it was the deal we had settled on," Jazz replied, sympathy evident in his voice.

"But Barricade wasn't really part of that deal." I pleaded, looking at Barricade's alternative form that purred just behind Prowl's.

"Yes, but Barricade is Prowl's brother, so they should have family time together." Jazz announced, both to me and the brothers.

"They might end up killing each other," I muttered.

"Don't worry," Barricade chuckled, "I've left that part of the Decepticon within me behind, locked it up and gave away the key." He joked.

"And who would you trust with the key to your 'Dark Side'?" I asked mockingly.

"No one," Barricade respond, "other than the true savor of my true self, and my family problems."

"So you gave it to Prowl?" I gasped in mock utter astonishment.

"No," Barricade purred a soft chuckle, "I gave it to you, Alexis, for you convinced Prowl to give me a second chance."

Jazz chuckled, obviously seeing something in what Barricade had said he did that no one else did. I glared at him questioningly, determining whether I should ask him what was so funny in what Barricade had said.

"Why did you laugh?" I asked Jazz suspiciously, "It wasn't even a 'that-was-funny' kind of laugh, it was more like a 'I-see-what's-happening' kind of laugh."

Jazz looked away from Barricade, turning to face me, sliding down his vizor as he did so.

"Oh, nothing, really." Jazz replied unconvincingly.

"Sure..." I retorted, not convinced the slightest bit, "Now what was the _real _reason you chuckled?"

"I'll tell you later." Jazz replied sternly, causing me to drop the subject for now. "Now it's time they were off."

"Don't worry, Alexis," Barricade reassured me softly, "I'll be here soon, time flies by fast, and if you have patients, it may go by faster."

I nodded my head solemnly, muttering my good byes as they took off. I glanced at Jazz one last time before stalking off inside my house and up into my room.

Barricade was right, time flew by fast and, before I knew, Barricade and Prowl were pulling up to my house. I was out immediately, hugging Barricade's foot the moment I was within reach of it. I heard Jazz and Prowl chuckle, and Barricade reached down and picked me up so he didn't have to look downward to see me.

I smiled at Barricade happily as he held me at about chest height. He smiled back at me. Once I received the smile from Barricade I turned around and glared daggers into Jazz, and then Prowl.

"What are you chuckling about?" I challenged, crossing my arms. "Which one of you are willing to explain yourself first?"

Barricade gave a soft chuckle, but, unlike Jazz's and Prowl's, I knew he was chuckling at my demanding an explanation. So I just let it slide by practicably unnoticed. I narrowed my eyes and glared into Prowl's, ready to challenge him if necessary.

"It's not for me to tell," Prowl admitted, gesturing at Jazz, "He told me, you can take it up with him."

"Okay," I growled, shifting my venomous glare onto Jazz, "You said you'd tell me later." I accused, prompting him.

"That I did," Jazz replied, "But I didn't specify _when_, exactly, later was," he pointed out, "For all you know, it could be months, years even."

I swallowed a scoff that rose in my throat, not wanting to anger Jazz. I sighed and hung my head, upset that I was left out of the loop.

"Don't feel that bad," Barricade whispered encouragingly, "I don't know what they're chuckling about, either."

"I thought that Prowl would have told you, since you _are _his younger brother." I admitted, looking up at Jazz before speaking up so he could hear, "So, just how long will this _later _be?"

"Depends," Jazz half answered.

I growled to myself, fed up with being left out of the loop and only getting half answers to my questions. It was then that Jazz perked up.

"What is it?" I asked, startled by his sudden alertness.

He motioned to me to be silent for a moment, as if he was listening to a privet conversation. I fell silent immediately, but I kept a close eye on him, looking for any signs of what was going on. It was then that I noticed that Barricade had gone tense and looked back to see his eyes locked on Jazz, disbelieve evidently betrayed in them.

After a few minutes had ticked by Jazz looked at Barricade, noticing that he was staring at him.

"So _that's _how you guys always knew what was going to happen before it did?!" Barricade exclaimed with amazement and disbelieve.

"Yes," Jazz answered, narrowing his eyes at Barricade, "And why didn't you receive this transmission?" Jazz asked suspiciously.

"Only the Decepticons in which the transmission was sent to can receive it." Barricade explained, still befuddled by his new knowledge. "How did you manage to receive that?"

"It was sent to the satellites, more specifically, Soundwave." Jazz smiled, "And he sent it to the other Decepticons."

"What's going on?" I asked, determined not to be left out of the loop this time.

"The Decepticons are going to use your number and your cellphone to find you," Jazz smiled, "They plan on ambushing us to capture you."

"But we're going to ambush their ambush?" I asked, understanding what Jazz was hinting at.

"Yes, but first we have to take your cellphone somewhere away from human population and get as much Autobots to assemble there as possible." Jazz informed.

"And your going to leave me here all alone with no means by which to contact anyone?" I asked, already pulling my cellphone out and handing it over to Jazz, who, in turn, gently took it from me, trying not to crush the tiny thing in his hand.

"No," Prowl replied, "not alone. Barricade is going to stay with you and make sure you are protected."

"_What_?!" Barricade exclaimed, "Why me? For all you know I could have planed this with Megatron, to lure you two away so I could take her away without a problem!"

"But since you pointed that out, its obvious that you're _not_ working with Megatron," Jazz retorted, "Because why would you tell us of that possibility if you really _were_ planing on doing that."

"So I could gain even _more _of your trust?" Barricade suggested.

"Well," I stepped in, "I know that you wouldn't do anything to hurt me."

"What makes you think that I wasn't lying about that?" Barricade countered.

"Because," I answered, "when you took Jared, I sensed the need to protect me surrounding you, not hatred or indifference."

Barricade's sneer dropped from his face as he looked at me. He then turned back to Jazz and Prowl.

"Fine," Barricade sighed, "I'll watch her. But I'll tell you this, I know every weakness of almost every Decepticon, I would be more useful in the battle then protecting Alexis."

"I know you would be a great ally in any battle, brother," Prowl reassured Barricade, "But the Autobots would most likely end up shooting you the moment they saw you. Even if we were to tell them that you are on our side, now."

"I understand," Barricade replied solemnly, "And I will stay and protect Alexis, but not because of the threat of getting shot in a crossfire, but because Alexis needs protection."

"It's settled, then," Jazz smiled, happy that Barricade was willing to stay back and keep me safe, "I'll inform Optimus immediately." Jazz then walked off, leaving the two brothers with me.

"And the other reason why I agreed to stay is that Soundwave is likely to send one of his Cassetteicons here to make sure that we weren't doing _exactly_ what we are going to do." Barricade informed Prowl as he glared at him for his reaction.

"And that is why I trust you with protecting Alexis," Prowl assured Barricade, "So if they _do _so happen to have that in secret code and come _here _instead of where the cellphone is, you can protect her. Even if the whole Decepticon army came."

"Not the whole Decepticon army," Barricade retorted, "I can't defeat a good number of them, especially on my own. Megatron, Starscream, and Blackout are three of the best in the Decepticon army."

"But you _were _one of the best fighters in the Decepticon army, before you left." Prowl countered.

"I was... more of a... better... interrogator..." Barricade admitted reluctantly.

Prowl looked at his brother with horror. "_You_ were the Decepticons _interrogator_?!" Prowl exclaimed in horror and disbelieve.

Prowl's outburst caused Jazz's head to snap up and he gave Prowl a scowl. But when Prowl didn't acknowledge that he had been too loud and apologize Jazz immediately got up and was over in a split-second.

"What was that outburst all about?" Jazz demanded, fixing Prowl with a glare. "It better have been worth it."

"If it was loud enough for you to have heard, wouldn't you have heard what it was about?" I asked after a few seconds had flew by with no answer from neither Barricade nor Prowl.

"No," Jazz replied, irritation evident in the tone of his voice, "I was too busy focusing on what Optimus was saying when Prowl had screamed." Jazz replied, then he glanced at me, "Do you know what Prowl's outburst was all about?"

"No," I replied truthfully, "all I know was one minute they were talking about who were the top fighters in the Decepticon ranks, and that was very confusing so I focused it out and, shortly after I had done so, Prowl's loud outburst had cut in, and now they're staring at each other."

I glanced at Prowl's horror stricken face and then at Barricade's ashamed one. I tried to make a connection between the two and then voiced my observations.

"But, judging from Barricade's ashamed face and Prowl's horror stricken one," I announced, "I'm willing to bet that Barricade told something he has done before, probably when he was a Decepticon, that he is ashamed of and it horrified Prowl."

Jazz nodded his head, muttering to himself. He then stepped between the two and griped Prowl's shoulders, giving them a rough shake. Prowl immediately snapped out of his trace.

"What happened?" Jazz demanded, shaking Prowl again, less roughly this time.

"I'm sorry," Barricade whispered with regret as he gently set me onto the ground, "I see that I am not welcome here any longer."

"Don't you move a circuit!" Jazz threatened, glaring at Barricade over his shoulder, causing Barricade to freeze in his tracks. "Now, one of you care to tell me what happened?"

Barricade hung his head in shame, not willing to repeat his claim a second time. He probably thought that he was going to be beheaded for what he had said, for he seemed to be muttering something like a prayer under his breath.

"He..." Prowl gasped, recovering from his horror stricken state.

"He what?" Jazz demanded, shifting so Prowl couldn't see Barricade no matter how hard he tried.

"He was the," Prowl shuttered, almost collapsing under the weight of emotions he was now feeling toward his younger brother.

"Just say it," Barricade whispered, a wince almost escaping him, "it's not like it wouldn't be figured out, soon as an Autobot who's once been held prisoner saw me I'd be shot in the Spark and then beaten..."

I cringed at the sight Barricade had built in my mind. I didn't know any reason why someone wouldn't be willing to forgive someone who just had a rough childhood. I looked up at Barricade, wishing I knew someway I could comfort my friend. I placed a tentative hand on his leg and he opened his eyes to look down at me. I could see the upset they held, and I could tell that Barricade was perfectly fine with my hand there, but he was trying to fight it back so he could step away from my touch.

"He was the Decepticons _interrogator_!" Prowl exclaimed, staring Jazz in the eyes, "Remember how everyone who managed to escape looked. They were beaten up. And many of them sobbing about having no choose _but _to tell him what he wanted, else they end up dieing a overly slow and painful death."

I looked over and noticed that Jazz had stiffened. I grew worried and tried to understand what was happening so I could probably prevent what _might_ happen. Jazz was almost instantly calm and relaxed. He turned around and made his way over to Barricade and placed a hand on his shoulder. Barricade tentatively looked up to meet Jazz's uncovered eyes filled with sympathy for his past, but also worry for what his future may behold.

"I bet that he regretted every torture he's ever done to any Autobot." Jazz half asked Barricade, half reassured Prowl.

"Now..." Barricade admitted shamefully. "But never during the torturing or after it..."

I watched both Prowl's and Jazz's faces grow horrified and glanced up to see Barricade's face, now betraying no emotions at all. I had to fight back the urge to hug his leg comfortingly, but I lost and he glanced down, everyone else following his gaze, to see me trying to comfort him. He smiled in spit of himself.

"But," Barricade said in a soft tone, "If I were to have interrogated someone right after I had met Alexis, I probably wouldn't have been able to pull it off..."

"Yes," Jazz replied distantly, "She tends to have that effect on people..."

"She certainly is a powerful being..." Barricade observed, "More the reason to keep her out of Megatron's grasp."

"Barricade," Prowl finally spoke up, "Just out of curiosity, what do you think Megatron _would _do to her, if he _did _get a hold of her?"

Barricade looked over at his brother, a look in his eye that was determination on not letting what Prowl had suggested happen, "If we don't let him near her, we wouldn't have to worry about Megatron or what he'd do to her if he managed to capture her."

"Is my mom going to be okay?" I asked Barricade.

"She is strong, and the next best interrogator compared to me is pretty terrible at torturing..." Barricade trailed off.

"But how about the best of all of them?" I asked, noticing why Barricade had trailed off.

"Megatron could snap her like he would a twig from one of the trees here." Barricade admitted, reaching down and picking me up.

He cradled me to his chest and gently ran his clawed finger down my back as I sobbed. I wondered whether my mother was still putting up a fight or if she had lost immediately after she had awoken.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter: 15

Barricade and I watched as Jazz and Prowl took off, planing on joining their Autobot allies somewhere away from my house. Barricade was still feeling a little upset with his past and kept mumbling about having to redeem his self respect somehow.

"I got an idea," Barricade announced suddenly, "to repay you, if only slightly, for helping me gain my brother's trust again."

"Oh, Barricade," I sighed, "you really don't—"

"But I want to," Barricade interrupted me, "I'm going to give you a friend, she's not a pet, though, if she were to be called that she'd take offense and more then likely attack whom ever it was that called her that." Barricade's bumper, which was on his chest in his Cybertronian form, opened and he reached in, "She is aggressive, yet very loyal, and her beauty is pretty intimidating, but she's been my partner for not even a thousand years yet."

He finally pulled out a little, dark crimson dragon with a purple underbelly and a dark blue colored crystal was set exactly where any real dragons heart would be, as if it were her protective armor for her heart. She blinked open dark green eyes and looked at me with curiosity.

"Ferine, this is Alexis, she is your new partner, guard her with your life, but don't get over sensitive if someone were to call you her pet, for you'll blow her cover." Barricade talked to her as he would Jazz or Prowl. She made a series of sounds, and blinked at me before nuzzling Barricade and jumping into my arms.

"Hello, Ferine, it's nice to meet you." I greeted, surprising myself when I didn't talk to her as if she wouldn't understand me at all.

Ferine blinked at me before replying in the same language that I had greeted her in.

"And I you, Alexis." She purred from her throat, nuzzling my cheek with hers, "I am a Cybertronian dragon, and I am still very young, but old enough to fly short distances. I am only three-thousand years old in earth's standard of time."

"And I can't fly, unless something carries me. I am only sixteen, though." Then I decided to see if something I just thought of might be how things on their planet Cybertron and earth differed. "And since we humans live shorter lives then Cybertronians do, to measure my age into Cybertronian standards I'd probably be about sixteen-thousand years old."

I looked at Barricade and he nodded his head. I smiled at Ferine before she started to squirm. I set her down on the ground and she took off after something smaller then Barricade but bigger than her. All I could see was a black, cat-like Cybertronian blur as it raced off in the opposite direction of the little crimson dragon.

"Ferine!" Barricade called, picking me up before chasing after the runaway dragon. "Leave him alone!" Barricade scolded, "Poor Ravage," He muttered under his breath.

I heard hissing and growling, then I saw that Ferine had the cat-like Cybertronian cornered and that he was hissing and swiping at her.

"Ferine!" Barricade scolded, setting me down—eying the Cybertronian cat the whole time—before picking Ferine up and putting her back in his bumper where he had pulled her out in the beginning. "Come here, Ravage."

The Cybertronian cat eyed Barricade suspiciously, not budging. He arched his back and hissed, giving a warning swipe in thin air and keeping his paw up and ready to strike if needed. I giggled and he whipped his head over to narrow his one big eye at me, and a red beam shot out and scanned me, to clarify that I was no threat.

"Ravage, she's put away," Barricade sighed, tapping his bumper, "Now come here."

This time the Cybertronian cat edged forward until Barricade could reach out and scratch him behind his ears, which is exactly what he did. I heard the huge cat purr and watched him roll onto his back, playfully grabbing Barricade's hand.

"Did Soundwave send you?" Barricade asked.

Ravage merowed and purred louder. Barricade then started to play with the oversized, metal panther.

"Were you sent to capture my Alexis?" Barricade asked.

My _Alexis,_ I thought to myself, _he's probably saying that by means of Decepticon standers so Ravage can understand that I'm under his protection._

Purring quieter now, Ravage sat up and licked his paw, staring at me with curiosity. He licked his paw three times before he arched his back and yawned. Then he sat down again.

"Stop taking to me as if I were a sparkling." The black cat rumbled, directing his request toward Barricade. Barricade chuckled darkly.

"Leave my Alexis alone." Barricade threatened.

"_Your _Alexis?" Ravage questioned, narrowing his eye at me, "How so? Is she your sparkling, or a new partner?" Then Ravage's eye grew wide as he jumped to his feet, fixing Barricade with a look of disbelieve, "Don't tell me that you left the Decepticon army just because you fell in love with a human?!" Ravage accused, totally catching me off guard with his assumption.

"What?!" I exclaimed, staring at Ravage with wide eyes, "What do you mean?"

"No," Barricade cut Ravage off before he even opened his mouth, "I am _not_ in love with any human."

"But you just claimed her as yours?" Ravage questioned with curiosity, "That _must _mean she's either your sparkling, which she obliviously isn't, so the only reasonable explanation left is that she is already your Spark-mate or will be your Spark-mate."

"No," Barricade shook his head, "I am her guardian, one of three of them."

"Four." Ferine piped up from within Barricade's bumper.

"Hm-mm..." Ravage pondered, "maybe I can finally protect someone other than hurt or capture them..."

"No," Barricade growled immediately, "You'll do more harm then good."

Ravage seemed hurt by Barricade's accusation. He winced and flinched away from Barricade. He even backed up a few steps.

"Barricade." I pleaded.

"No," Barricade repeated, "It's not that I don't trust him, but that Soundwave can see what he sees, hear what he hears, and he can track him, too."

"That may be true," Ravage looked at Barricade hopefully, "But if I ask to be your partner and you accept, then I share everything with you instead of with Soundwave."

"But if it works that easily, all you have to do is go and become Soundwave's partner again." Barricade countered.

"Trust me," Ravage glared at Barricade's bumper, "No one can get me near that nuisance just to spy. She's actually one reason why, if you _do _turn down my partnership, I wouldn't really mind. I wouldn't miss her at all, I'd actually be happy if she's not bugging me about having the same partners."

"Actually," I piped in, "You'd have to be my partner to be sharing partners..."

"Well, that's a relief," Ravage sighed, "So, Barricade, what do you say, partners?"

Barricade glanced at me before turning back to Ravage and nodding his head, "Sure, partners," then Barricade added threateningly, "But if this is a trick, I _will _hunt you down and kill you, personally..." He trailed off, "That, or lock you into a room with Ferine..."

"I wouldn't betray you, and I wouldn't be very happy locked in a room with your _pet_." Ravage spit out the last word and listened with amusement to Ferine's outburst. We all laughed; well, all of us minus Ferine.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter: 16

"So I _was_ right?!" Barricade half asked, half muttered to himself, "It _is _a trap, baiting the Autobots with a poorly coded transmission to Soundwave... So _now_ Megatron thinks of a good plan to defeat the Autobots..."

"Ahem..." I interrupted his musings. Barricade looked at me questioningly and I continued with my question, "What are we going to do? We can't contact any of them, they're Autobots, so you can't just comm them and warn them?" I pointed out, causing even Ravage to backtrack.

"She's right," Ravage agreed, "But we need to find some way to warn them..." He trailed off, thinking.

"I'll go and tell them," Barricade offered, looking back at Ravage.

"No!" I exclaimed immediately, startling Barricade into looking at me again, "Remember what Jazz and Prowl said, you'll be dead before you'd even open your mouth."

Barricade looked as if he were about to argue, but he decided better than to do so. Instead he asked, "Then what's your plan?"

I laughed nervously, twiddling with my fingers, "I don't have one, yet..." I admitted, embarrassed.

"Well, then," Ravage concluded, "Barricade is the only one with a reasonable plan. I think—"

"But what if the Autobots don't believe him!?" I interrupted, looking pleadingly from Barricade to Ravage.

"Prowl and Jazz will," Barricade pointed out, "And both of them are high in the Autobot ranks."

"I don't care!" I exclaimed, unhappy with how things were progressing, "What if Ironhide shoots you before anyone could say 'hi'?"

"Then I'm dead," Barricade replied grimly, "But Jazz and Prowl would know something was wrong."

"I don't like that plan." I grumbled stubbornly.

"It doesn't matter," Barricade pointed out, turning back to Ravage to further discuss the plan.

There was only one thing left to do. I ran up to Barricade and, since he was sitting down, hugged his knee. I felt Barricade tense, but he almost instantly relaxed. It was then that I noticed that tears were streaming down my cheeks.

"Please," I pleaded, "don't go, I don't want to lose another friend..." a sob interrupted my sentence.

With a sigh, Barricade picked me up and cradled me to his chest, gently rubbing my back with a clawed finger. We sat like that for a few moments, comforting one another, neither wanting to ruin the moment.

Thankfully, yet rudely, Ravage cleared his throat, causing Barricade to set me down in embarrassment. Ravage chuckled, and flicked his tail.

"I have a better idea..." Ravage rumbled from his throat with a purr of amusement.

"Does it involve leaving me behind and you two running off to get killed?" I asked with venom edged sarcasm.

"No," Ravage purred in amusement, "neither of those. It involves all of us going and ambushing the ambush that ambushes the ambush."

I raised an eyebrow and Barricade chuckled, running his clawed finger once down my back in reassurance. I tried to piece together what Ravage had said, only accomplishing more confusion.

"Huh?" I asked after a few minutes of trying to put the puzzle together. Ravage and Barricade burst out laughing. I grumbled.

"He means," Barricade chuckled out after he got his laughter under control again, "we're going to go to the location, and help the Autobots when they get ambushed."

"Oh!" I laughed at my own stupidity, "That makes sense." I giggled, "And it's more bullet proof than the old one." I smiled up at Barricade, then gave him a stern look, "I _am_ coming." I stated.

Barricade looked at Ravage for a split-second then shrugged, looking back at me. "Sure, why not."

I laughed and hugged Barricade's knee again, and even Ravage came over and nudged the two of us. I giggled as I playfully tried to push Ravage away.

"Then it's settled, we leave immediately, the sooner we get there to help the Autobots, the better." Barricade announced. Both Ravage and I nodded our heads in agreement. Barricade transformed and opened his doors for both Ravage and I to climb in and buckle up.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter: 17

I sighed and stifled a groan of boredom. "Are we there yet?" I asked for the millionth time, grinning when Ravage let out an exasperated sigh of annoyance.

"What's with you?" Ravage grumbled, "Are you one of those 'broken records' you humans are always talking about?"

I chuckled and glared at Ravage playfully, "No, I'm just doing that to annoy you, I'm more like a DJ." I giggled at his look of confusion at my claim.

"You go to parties and dances and rip up the music CD's?" He asked in confusion.

Barricade chuckled and I broke out laughing so hard a tear rolled down my cheek. I quickly collected myself and, finding Ravage's confusion and annoyance funny, decided to comment on his statement.

"Oh, that's a good one, Rav'," I chuckled, using the shortened version of his name I made up just to pet him the wrong way, "Your cracking me up!"

Ravage's eye grew wide with terror and worry as he glanced at Barricade's review mirror then back at me. "I didn't even touch you!" he exclaimed in a panicked tone, "Barricade, I swear, these humans are so fragile that even words can break them."

Barricade just broke out in laughter at that comment as I tried to make a mock hurt face. Giggles kept interrupting my pout, though, so I just gave in to the laughter. Ravage tilted his head slightly to the right with pure confusion written all over his face, and it caused another wave of laughter to overcome me.

"Are you alright?" Ravage asked with concern, "Don't die on me..." he cringed, "I don't want Barricade to sic Ferine on me."

"Your just too fun to mess with." I chuckled, patting Ravage's head gently. Ravage went to flinch from my touch but was a second to late as I found the sensitive wiring behind his ear and he let out a purr in spit of himself.

Barricade chuckled at the sight, "Looks like Jazz was right, you do have the effect of softening people up." I grinned up at his review mirror and pulled my hand away from Ravage and put it back into my lap.

"So...." I grinned at Ravage, an evil glint in my eye, "Are we there yet?"

Ravage groaned and put his paws over his ears as Barricade and I chuckled. "Ravage, I'm going to ask you once again, would you like to go into the back so you can have more room?" This time Ravage removed his paws from his head and agreed.

Barricade transformed the bars that separated the front seats from the back ones out of the way and Ravage quickly slipped into the back, the bars weaving back into place behind him. Ravage stretched with a yawn and laid out, taking up all the room possible with his slender feline body and long legs.

I jumped and whipped around when I heard a loud beeping sound to see that the group of red and purple dot's were nearing instead of sitting up on the top of the GPS. I let out a whoop of relief as Ravage sighed from his spot in the back.

"And before you even think of asking it, Alexis," Ravage voiced gruffly from the back, "_Yes _we're there, just about, now keep quiet so I can make sure no one try's to sneak up behind us."

I just turned in my seat and stuck my tongue out at him and giggled quietly to myself before turning back to face the on-coming battle. I looked up at the sky and kept my senses sharp and alert for even the slightest hint of battle.

"Ah," Barricade's sudden whisper made me jump in surprise and look at his radio, "So Megatron's going to bring some of the rookies into this battle." Barricade sighed, "What a wast."

"Rookies?" I asked, "How new at fighting are they?"

"New enough that they wouldn't stand a chance against Sunstreaker and Sideswipe even if it was eight on two." Barricade sighed to himself and then came to a slow stop. "Okay, now we wait for the _real _fighters to come and attack."

I shivered slightly from excitement and nervousness, my bright green eyes flashing around to make sure no one was approaching us without our notice. I caught a flash of silver in the small forest and leaned forward to try to make out what it belonged to.

I went to ask Barricade if he knew what it was but he answered my question before I could even ask it. "That's one of the rookies, he's fighting one of the Autobots, that's why it was only a flash."

I nodded my head, then thought of something, "Wouldn't the Decepticon ambush see us when they come?" I asked, looking up at Barricade's review mirror.

"They might, but most will come by air..." Barricade replied, reeving his engine suddenly, "But we needn't worry about that, they're already here." And with that he gunned forward and transformed once he came to the trees.

Ravage fell to the ground and landed on his feet and I was in Barricade's hands. Barricade crept forward slowly and as quietly as possible. I covered my ears as the loud clang of metal against metal met them.

When we could see the battle, Barricade's eyes scanned it quickly as he determined who was winning. He then deposited me onto a tree and looked me in the eye.

"Stay here, you'd do no good out there, you'll only get in the way and make it harder for the Autobots and me." Barricade informed before he motioned to Ravage and they took off into battle.

I looked after Barricade helplessly as he and Ravage plunged into a pile of Decepticons and started tearing them off of the Autobot they had pinned. Once most of them were cleared Barricade reached down and helped up a familiar small, yellow with black racing strips, Cybertronian. It was Bumblebee.

Bumblebee looked ragged and seemed to be favoring his right shoulder slightly. But that didn't stop him from socking Barricade in the gut, or, rather, where the gut would be on a human. Barricade bent slightly from the impact and cursed in Cybertronian. Bumblebee looked at Barricade doubtfully and punched him in the face.

"Barricade!" I croaked, glaring at Bumblebee in anger.

Bumblebee noticed me immediately after I uttered Barricade's name and transformed his arm into a gun and aimed it at Barricade's head. Barricade let go of him instantly and backed away, ducking the plasma shot, just scarcely avoiding getting hit.

Then he pinpointed Ravage amongst the battling Cybertronians and rushed over to save him from Ratchet's rage. Bumblebee watched him go for a moment before he made his way over to where I was.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he came to stand by me.

"Barricade and Ravage are helping you guys!" I exclaimed as I saw Barricade distract Ratchet so Ravage could make his escape.

"Nonsense." Bumblebee scoffed as he looked over his shoulder at the on going battle. "How'd you get here?"

"Barricade and Ravage weren't going to leave me back there with no protection and the possibility that Soundwave might send another Cassetteicon after me." I explained in a rush, "Don't believe me? Take it up with Prowl... or better yet, Jazz...." Then I noticed something, "Where are they, anyway?"

Bumblebee turned around and lifted his battle mask for a few seconds to scan the battle. Then his mask snapped back into place as he pointed and announced, "Over there, taking on Starscream." And with that he rushed back into battle, and over towards Ratchet.

He slipped in front of Barricade and pointed at Ravage, probably telling Ratchet that they were on their side. Ratchet seemed to mumble something before shrugging and turning around to attack the real enemy.

I sighed in relief and took a deep breath. Then Bumblebee turned to face Barricade and they gave each other a slight nod. Then they raced over to help Jazz and Prowl with Starscream.

I searched for Ravage and found him racing over to me and, in a swift jump, he landed on the thick tree branch just below the one I was on. He seemed to be panting, his ears were back and he was favoring his front left leg ever-so-slightly.

"What's wrong, Ravage?" I asked him, concerned.

"Nothing, Alexis." Ravage reassured, "Just that I remembered that I always wanted to try something."

"What?" I asked him, gripping the branch above me tightly as he moved and made the tree sway slightly.

Some kind of compartment opened up on his front left leg and he grabbed something little out of it. Reaching his head up to my free hand, he nudged something cold and little into my palm, and I instinctively closed my hand around it and brought it up to inspect it.

It looked sort of like a head set microphone, the kind that you stuck in your ear and a piece curved out to your mouth so it could pick up your words and send them to the voice that comes from the piece in your ear.

"I'm sure you'll know what it is and how to work it. I just programed Barricade's comm-link into it, along with mine. It's smart enough to know who to send it to. Try it out." Ravage encouraged.

I tentatively slipped it on and took a deep breath before stating, "You sure it'll work?" Ravage's chuckle came across from the headset and I went to look back at him to find out that he was already rushing back into the battle.

"_Positive_." Came the reply. "_Now, contact Barricade, but make sure to tell him it's you._"

I took a deep breath then decided it wouldn't hurt to try. "Barricade, it's me, Alexis, Ravage gave me means by which to contact you, please respond."

There was a few moments of just metal against metal, then, "_Alexis? Hmm, it did work... interesting..._" It was Barricade all right.

"Wow, it worked?!" I asked in amazement.

"_Apparently it did._" Barricade replied, amused with my shock. "_Ah, look. They're retreating._"

I looked up and around to see that he was right, the Decepticons were in full retreat.

"Yeah! We won! High-five, bro!" A golden Cybertronian exclaimed as he and a silver-blue Cybertronian that had wheels for feet gave each other high-fives.

"Sunstreaker! Sideswipe!" Ratchet grumbled, "They haven't fully retreated even!"

"Oh-no, looks like Hatchet's grumpy again." Sunstreaker cooed as he and his brother transformed and took off.

I sighed and shook my head as I slid down from the tree and took off over to my three, no, four... _four and a half, _I decided, guardians. I took the earpiece out and handed it to Jazz. Jazz scanned it and Prowl did the same. Jazz then gave it back to me and I put it back in my ear.

"Does it work?" I asked them all over the comm-link.

"Yes." Came the reply from all of them out loud. We laughed and then they transformed and I chose to ride home in Barricade, since I _did _come in him. And I also wanted to be able to annoy Ravage the whole way home.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter: 18

Optimus had followed Barricade back to my house very closely, he was practicably tailing us. He was probably just afraid that Barricade would all of a sudden gun off with me as his prisoner and bring me to the Decepticons. I felt uneasy, even though I knew who it was that was tailing me, but I was also worried that it'd look a little too suspicious, having an eighteen-wheeler tailing a police cruiser.

Thankfully we were able to get back unnoticed. Though, we went to the abandoned warehouse that my mother had stayed in before she was captured, instead of my house.

"Why are we here?" I asked Barricade curiosity.

"Optimus wished to speak with me, along with Jazz and Prowl." Barricade answered with indifference.

"Oh..." I trailed off, "I didn't get any of you in trouble, did I?"

"Of course not, Alexis." Barricade chuckled.

"Okay, good." I sighed and got out of Barricade to let him transform.

The moment Barricade was fully transformed Optimus walked past him and opened the garage door to the secret base, motioning for us to follow him inside. Prowl picked me up and I had to swallow my protests, not wanting to anger him.

Once we were inside, Optimus turned and addressed Prowl, "I see you have accepted being Alexis' guardian, Prowl." Prowl curtly nodded his head. Optimus shifted his gaze to Barricade and continued, "And I see that your younger brother has decided to deflect from the Decepticons."

Barricade seemed uncomfortable with the Autobots leader's gaze, and the fact that he talked as if Barricade wasn't there. "Yes, I've forgiven my brother for what he had done before the true war had begun..." Barricade trailed off and shot Prowl a glare, as if he knew Prowl hadn't told anyone else, "For killing Oceansurface in cold blood, just because he thought she was going to join the Decepticons, when, in fact, she hated the idea of a war."

If Barricade wanted to shift the spotlight from himself onto Prowl, then he had succeeded, for Optimus looked at Prowl in shock. Prowl looked down at his feet in shame, not wanting to meet his leader's questioning and surprised gaze that burned into him.

"Prowl," Prowl looked up at his leader tentatively, unsure of what to expect, "is what Barricade said true?"

Prowl looked into his leader's eyes shamefully, and nodded his head slightly. "Yes, only my only intention was to protect Barricade..."

Optimus seemed to consider what Prowl had claimed, "Is it only the need to protect your younger brother that had drove you to killing Oceansurface?" Optimus asked, seeming rather suspicious about it.

Prowl seemed even more ashamed and lowered his gaze again.

"Prowl?" I asked, looking up at him, "Answer his question."

Prowl looked over to Barricade with guilt clearly shown all over his face. "Not exactly..." Prowl admitted, still looking at Barricade.

"Then what was the other reason?" Optimus asked, causing Prowl to turn back to look at his leader. Optimus fixed Prowl with a demanding look, making it so Prowl could not drop his gaze.

Prowl tensed and slumped at the same time with worry and guilt, obviously knowing that he had killed someone in full cold blood, and had no real reason to have done so.

"Prowl." Optimus demanded, narrowing his eyes.

"I... I killed her because...." Prowl trailed off and sighed, "Because I was jealous... both of her for Barricade spending all his time with her, and with Barricade for stealing her from me...." Prowl lowered his gaze and I gasped in shock as I looked over to where Barricade stood to see his reaction.

Barricade looked like he was about to lose control and blast a hole through Prowl's chest. He clenched and unclenched his fists and glared at Prowl in pure hatred and horror.

"You _killed_ her out of _jealousy_!?" Barricade finally exploded. "How could you!?"

Barricade whipped out his gun and aimed it at Prowl's Spark, starting to pull the trigger, which caused Jazz to act and put his own gun to Barricade's head. Barricade pulled the trigger a little more, completely lost in his rage.

But, then he saw me and he moved his glare to me, and it was instantly soft and forgiving. His hand pulling the trigger relaxed the moment he looked at me, and the gun slipped from his fingers and clashed to the ground.

Jazz looked between Barricade and Prowl worriedly, unsure of what he should do now. He finally removed his gun from Barricade's head and Barricade kicked his own gun away from himself, as if he didn't trust himself with a weapon nearby.

Barricade then collapsed to the floor in a heap and I glared at Jazz, who put his hands up in defense. It was then I realized that Barricade was crying.

"Put me down." I told Prowl. He looked at me as if I was crazy and shook his head. "Just do it." I demanded. This time Prowl complied reluctantly, setting me down gently.

I took off towards Barricade, barely avoiding Ravage as he tried to block me. I dodged Jazz's foot and came to Barricade's crouched form.

"'Cade?" I asked tentatively as I reached up to touch one of his hands he held over his eyes. "'Cade, it's me, Alexis, are you okay?"

Barricade's crying almost instantly became quieter as he shivered slightly at my touch. He then sat back and removed his hands from his face to look at me.

"Alexis..." He whimpered quietly as he wiped the tears from his face. "Thank you, Alexis."

I looked at him in confusion. "Thank you for what?" I asked.

"Thank you for giving me the power to stop myself from doing something that I didn't want to and that I would have regretted." Barricade whispered quietly, tentatively reaching out towards me. I reached up and touched his claw gently, trying to comfort him as best as I could.

"No problem," I smiled softly at him as he turned his hand palm up and I climbed onto it.

He put his hand up to his shoulder and I clambered off and held onto the window of his alternative form as he stood up. He then shot Prowl a glare of daggers edged with poison before turning back to Optimus.

"Well..." Optimus trailed off, unsure of how to respond to what had just happened, "I've... I've never seen a Decepticon... cry, before..."

"As you said earlier, Optimus, I have deflected from the Decepticons, so I am no longer one." Barricade replied harshly.

"Then, are you an Autobot?" Optimus asked.

"No." Barricade answered immediately. "Autobots can kill in cold blood just as well as any Decepticon..." Barricade shot Prowl a glance full of hatred, "I'm on no side, but I _will_ protect Alexis with my Spark." Barricade declared, glaring at everyone and daring them to protest.

"Then what about your Decepticon insignia?" Jazz asked curiously.

"I'll keep it for now, at lest until you Autobots prove that not every Autobot has killed in cold blood..." Barricade glared at Optimus knowingly.

"What's he talking about, Optimus?" Jazz asked suspiciously as he glanced between Optimus and Barricade.

"That's of none of your concern at the moment, Jazz." Optimus replied, glaring back at Barricade.

"You'll find out sooner or later..." Barricade promised as he looked at Jazz. "Now, I'm going to go take a walk, don't worry, Optimus, I'll keep our secret... for now. And I'll drive to a forest, too, before transforming." With that, he handed me to Jazz and left the warehouse, Ravage closely following him.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter: 19

I frowned at Barricade's retreating form, then turned a curious stare onto Optimus, noticing that he was stiff with both worry and relief. I could feel the curiosity burning in both Jazz and Prowl, and glanced quickly to note that they too were looking at Optimus expectantly.

"What was that all about?" I finally asked after a few moments silents. Optimus jumped slightly and looked at me.

"Nothing," he replied, "I believe you should be getting home now, before your father worry's."

I sighed, knowing that he was right. I glanced at Prowl, then turned to Jazz, who had a knowing look in his eyes. Jazz started to carry me off, then bent down to me.

"Let's go find Barricade and 'interrogate' him." Jazz whispered jokingly. I grinned and chuckled slightly.

"Or, at _lest _ask him what that was all about." I added.

Jazz transformed and we shared a laugh that the others couldn't hear as we drove off after Barricade and Ravage.

"There!" I shouted as I spotted Barricade and Ravage walking side by side in the woods.

Jazz put me on his shoulder and told me to hold on tightly before running to catch up with the two retreating forms.

"'Cade!" I shouted, "Rav', wait up!"

The two ex-Decepticons turned and looked at us, slowing down to an almost full stop at my request. Jazz reached them and slowed down, not even breathing harder than before he started to run.

"Hey, 'Cade." I greeted him happily, grinning up at him. He returned the grin.

"Hello, Alexis," he looked at Jazz, "hello, Jazz. I have a feeling I know why you're here."

"We want to know what all that was about." I stated unnecessarily.

"Let's find somewhere to rest, it's a decent sized story." Jazz and I nodded our heads and followed Barricade and Ravage.

We came to a clearing that was big enough for the three Cybertronians to fit in with plenty of room and they sat on the ground. Ravage was laying on his side, tail occasionally flicking, and Jazz placed me on his knee so he could lean back on a tree, careful not to put too much of his weight on it so it wouldn't snap.

"I'll tell you now, that Prowl killing Oceansurface wasn't the only reason I decided to join the Decepticons. Oceansurface had a younger sister named Sapphire, and the Decepticons had captured her. Oceansurface was planning on breaking into the Decepticon base that Sapphire was being held, and I volunteered to come with her and help.

"She accepted my offer and we started planning our strategy, possible conflicts, escape routes, stuff like that. She said that if something happened to her, that her dying wish would be that I watched Sapphire and kept her safe.

"As you heard, something did happen to her, Prowl killed her. I knew that the only way I could even hope of keeping an eye on Sapphire then was to join the Decepticons, and my anger at Prowl's betrayal helped me be able to do just that. I used my anger towards Prowl as leverage to convince them that I was Decepticon material, and it worked out perfectly, as you saw for yourself. Too perfectly, as a matter of fact.

"Sapphire was able to convince the Decepticons that she was loyal to them, and then started working as an Autobot spy, she met Optimus and reported our accomplishments and our progress, and what we were planning to do where.

"She was furious when she saw the Decepticon insignia on me. But I was able to convince her that I was only a Decepticon because her sister wished me to watch over her. Sapphire asked what happened to Oceansurface, and I told her that Prowl had killed her in cold blood. Sapphire saw the pain and truth in what I had said and, instead of me having to comfort her like I expected I would have to do, she ended up having to comfort me.

"I helped cover the truth about her being an Autobot spy, and she was very careful about what she did and what she said, never doing anything that she knew would get her caught. I went with her when she went to report, staying a good distance away so Optimus wouldn't have reason to think she was actually a double spy.

"She was kind enough to retrieve information about how Prowl was doing, and Optimus willingly told her, already knowing that I was keeping a watchful eye on Sapphire's reports. He had a feeling that it meant that I wasn't completely lost to the Decepticons cause, and he was right."

Barricade sighed and reached over to ruffle Ravage's metallic fur between his ears, earning a weak growl of irritation in response.

"So, what happened to her? Did she get caught?" I asked, understanding that Barricade would need to be asked questions for him to continue, since this was a painful topic for him.

"Well, like always, someone became suspicious of Sapphire being a spy. Starscream had been noticing that she was always gone at a certain time. Sapphire and Optimus settled on patterns, and Starscream quickly caught on to them.

"Starscream knew that he needed full proof before he could bring it to Megatron, so he followed Sapphire out one time. He kept his distance and was rewarded with the sight of her reporting to Optimus. He decided that he would test Optimus' trust in Sapphire, and Starscream silently called for his trinity, Thundercracker and Skywarp. He signaled them and they surrounded Optimus and Sapphire.

"'Thank you, Sapphire, for gaining the Autobot leader's trust and luring him out here on his own, with his guard down, you are an excellent helper' Starscream had cackled. I raced over to help Sapphire and Optimus fight them off, three on three, but as I reached the end of the clearing, I watched with horror as Optimus stabbed his sword through Sapphire's Spark.

"I stopped dead in my tracks, eyes wide with terror. And horror slowly gave way to grief, which quickly gave way to anger and pain." Barricade lowered his head, closing his eyes with grief at the memory.

"What did you do?" I asked quietly, sympathetic for Barricade's losses.

"The only thing I could do without blowing my cover, I went to join the Decepticons, to help them kill Optimus. But, luckily for both Optimus and me, Optimus managed to escape almost immediately." Barricade lifted his head, eyes full of grief and anger.

"I'm so sorry, 'Cade." I whispered with sorrow and sympathy.

Jazz hung his head, sliding his visor into place to try to hide his sorrow. Barricade put his head in his hands and a few tears leaked out. I put a comforting hand on his knee, and looked up at him with determination. He peeked through his fingers and smiled a slight half smile at me. I returned a soft smile and patted Barricade's knee, trying to comfort him as best I could.

"If I were more your size, 'Cade, I'd give ya a big hug to cheer ya up." I chuckled slightly.

That made Barricade smile softly at me and remove his hands from his face.

"And if I wouldn't end up squishing you, I'd greatly appreciate it." He replied truthfully.

Jazz slid his visor off of his face and grinned at Barricade, more of a smirk on a trickster's face before he pulled a prank then anything else. Then he leaned fully on the tree and went limp. Barricade and I watched him intently, on high alert for any moving thing.

I let out a startled squeak as strong, muscled arms wrapped around me from behind. I looked down to see fair dark skin and felt confusion and terror shoot down my spine. I was able to twist around to see the face that belonged to the arms, and let out a short gasp of amazement as my bright green eyes met warm blue eyes. He was smirking and had a glint of amusement in his eyes. I noticed the blue sunglasses sitting on top of his head and shook my head.

"Jazz!" I scolded. Barricade burst out laughing, then he reached over and swiped me from Jazz's holomatter's grip and, very gently, hugged me to his chest.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter: 20

As we came into the abandoned warehouse, I couldn't help but to glare at Optimus. I managed to look away when he looked in my direction, though. But Jazz didn't, and Optimus glanced at Barricade, fear and uncertainty flashing in his eyes for a second.

Optimus made his way over to us, cautiously, unsure of how Jazz would react. Optimus stopped right in front of Jazz, and looked deep into his eyes, sadness and guilt evident in his eyes.

"So, I'm guessing Barricade told you?" Optimus asked tentatively.

Jazz and I both nodded our heads, and looked into Optimus's gaze, our gazes unfaltering as we met the leader of the Autobots eyes.

"I..." Optimus sighed and looked down with grief, "I was foolish to believe Starscream would rant her out if she truly was helping the Decepticons as a double spy."

Jazz and I nodded our heads, not speaking. Prowl looked up, alarm flashing in his eyes before making his way over to us.

"Optimus told me what happened with Sapphire when you two left to find Barricade." Prowl explained as he came to a halt beside his worried leader. "We both seemed to have made a mistake in our past, and we both regret it severely... and if we could go back in time and change it, we surely would do so in a Spark pulse." Prowl hung his head.

Barricade grew stiff and alert all of a sudden, and everyone looked at him in alarm. Barricade seemed to be looking at something that wasn't there, and I was instantly worried. Then, finally, Barricade's eyes met Prowl's, a mixture of relief and worry.

"What?" Prowl asked immediately, knowing that Barricade doesn't act like this unless something truly bad was happening.

Barricade dropped a mace from one of his arms, his face becoming a look of relief mixed with pure horror. "Siren."

"_Where_!" Prowl burst out immediately, becoming very tense and nervous.

"Close by." Barricade informed, "The Decepticons are after her."

Prowl and Barricade both instantly ran off, transforming and driving as fast as possible.

"Follow them!" I shouted, the same moment Jazz and Ravage took off after their rapidly retreating forms. I heard Optimus transform behind us, and he told Ravage to hop on and hold on to his vehicle mode.

"Stop!" I cried suddenly, just as a Decepticon jumped in front of us.

"Think this is the place they were heading?" Jazz asked, kicking it into reverse, his tires squealing from the sudden change in gear.

"Behind us!" I exclaimed, just as another Decepticon jumped behind us in an attempt to block our escape.

"Dang it!" Jazz snapped, revving his engine in annoyance. "Get out so I can transform."

I stared out the side window and pointed. "There! Go through that parking garage, it has another outlet on the other side!"

Changing gears again, Jazz accelerated towards the parking garage and drove right through, not even bothering to pay for parking. We dodged through the parking garage and smashed through the other entrance.

"Who's that?" I asked as we stopped to the sight of a small Cybertronian with a slender body hugging Barricade tightly.

"That's Siren," Jazz told me, "she's the reason Barricade and Prowl left in such a hurry."

I opened Jazz's door and got out, hearing him transform behind me, and raced over to Barricade.

"It's so good to see you again, Barry!" the small, white Cybertronian said, "And I'm glad to hear that you've finally left those rotten Decepticons, even though you haven't joined the Autobots." She beamed at Jazz and waved, then managed to grab Prowl and hug him too.

Prowl sighed and the small Cybertronian giggled at his reaction. Then Prowl finally returned the hug. "It's good to see that you've survived the war so far, Siren." Prowl greeted.

"Yeah," the small Cybertronian named Siren replied, "and I hear that you've finally decided to become a guardian."

"Yeah...." Prowl sighed, "I sighed up for it, and got more then I needed." Siren, Barricade, and Jazz laughed at Prowl's statement.

"Oh, and this must be her." Siren said, noticing me, "Hi, I'm Siren." Siren beamed at me.

"Uh...." I muttered, befuddled, "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

Siren looked at Barricade, then shrugged and turned back to me. "'Bout thirteen-thousand."

"You're thirteen?!" I asked in amazement.

"No...." Siren looked confused, "I'm thirteen-thousand...."

"Thirteen in human standards, Siren." Barricade chuckled, "Didn't you do your homework before coming to earth?"

Siren rolled her eyes, as best as a Cybertronian could, and shook her head. "'Fraid not, Barry." Barricade sighed. "What? Barricade's a long name, what'd ya expect from me, Barry?"

Barricade shook his head, "How about not calling me a human food product?"

I burst out laughing, as did Jazz and Prowl. Our human humor seemed to have been lost on Siren, for she tilted her head.

"Good one, 'Cade!" I gasped out in between giggles.

"And how old are you, youngling?" Siren asked me, trying to shove the spotlight off of herself.

That caused even more fits of laughter. "I'm sixteen-thousand years old, _you're_ the youngling!" I replied. Siren look as if she were about to ask me something, then thought better of it. "So, Siren, how did you know Barricade?"

"We go _way_ back, and we're _very _close." Siren replied.

I felt something cold pass down my spine, and managed to swallow and breath before pressing for further details. "What do you mean, _way back_?" I asked, feeling chilled and hot at the same time.

"We've been together ever since I was proto-formed." Siren went on. I frowned and choked down my feelings of paranoia for the third time, and felt like I was frozen.

"She's our sister, Alexis." Barricade sighed, giving Siren a friendly but hard punch to the shoulder. "And I hardly knew her that much, it was mostly Prowl who was able to hang out with her."

I sighed in relief and relaxed, feeling much better. "Ah, that makes sense, thanks, 'Cade." I grinned at him and caught a dirty look from Siren. I instantly knew I liked her, but I wasn't going to be able to get along with her very well.

"What'd ya think we were when I told ya that?" Siren beamed at me, "I think I know, anyway." I frowned at her, "you've gotta crush on him." Siren beamed a huge smile at me, and I was instantly confused and furious at the same time.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter: 21

"_**WHAT!?!**_" I exclaimed, growled, and snarled at the same time. I clenched my fists by my side and set my jaw. "I do _**NOT**_!"

Siren beamed even more, "Then why ya denying it?"

I growled. "Because I_**DON'T**_!"

Jazz smirked, Prowl chuckled, and Barricade looked worried. I glared poisoned edged daggers at Siren, my green eyes ablaze with fury.

"Take it _back_!" I demanded.

"No." Siren said evenly, "Alexis and Barry, sitin' in ah tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Siren started to sing.

"_SHUT UP_!" I snarled, Siren only beamed and got louder. "Why can't we be attacked by Decepticons?" I muttered under my breath. I breathed in, then bellowed, "STOP IT THIS INSTANT! SHUT UP! AND **TAKE IT BACK**!"

Everyone flinched, everyone but Barricade, who grinned when everyone looked at me and it was finally peaceful and quiet.

"Why should I take back the truth?" Siren finally barked, chuckling to herself. I growled and pushed my hair behind my ears, and unconsciously took my necklace in my hand, gripping it tightly between my index finger and my thumb. Siren instantly fell silent when her eyes fell upon my hand crafted jewelry.

"'Kay, 'kay, don't zap me, I'm just stating the truth." Siren chortled. Barricade tapped Prowl on the shoulder and the two of them backed away, not knowing what was about to happen. I yelped in pain when I felt a sudden flair of pain on my hand, and looked down to watch my necklace leap and intertwine around my hand. Then my hand became a gun, and I leveled it with Siren's head.

"Shut up," I grinned, "or I'll make you." the gun started to glow a soft red color for effect. Siren yelped and ducked her head, covering it with her hands. I lowered my hand. "Wise chose." I smiled softly at Barricade. "Don't ask me how I did it." I shrugged, "I've no clue what-so-ever."

Barricade, Jazz, and Prowl laughed, and I joined in, staring at my hand in wonder as the gun slowly became a necklace again.

"Let's get out of here before the Decepticons find us again." Barricade advised, transforming and opening his door as Ravage walked up. Ravage clamored in and I joined Jazz again. Siren transformed into a small white motorcycle, driving off after Prowl and tailing him closely.

"I can't wait to get home." I sighed, putting my head in my hands, feeling a headache beginning. Jazz chuckled and blasted off, heading towards my home.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter: 22

"You what?" I asked, confused.

"We enrolled in your school, so we can better keep an eye on you." Prowl informed, Jazz smirked at me from behind Prowl.

"How are you going to fit in?" I asked, then added, "And more importantly, how are you going to get the same classes as me?"

Jazz chuckled, a smug look on his face. "Can't tell ya, for security reasons."

I gasped at him in mock horror. "You _hacked_ into my school?"

Jazz chuckled and smirked at me, winking, "It's not that bad, is it?"

I rolled my eyes. "Not if you have a perfectly good lawyer." I sighed, rubbing my temples. "What about 'Cade and Siren?"

"They didn't enroll, no." Prowl replied.

Jazz chuckled and I looked at him, "No matter how much ya beg, I doubt 'Cade'll enroll in school to be with ya." Jazz winked at me again and I threw the tennis ball I had picked up from my yard at him, hitting him on the head between the eyes.

"Next time you wink at me, it'll be a golf ball in the eye you winked." I threatened him, receiving silent laughter and a huge grin from Jazz.

"'Kay, message received." He rubbed where I hit him, trying to pretend that it actually hurt, at lest a little. "You guys should be happy your able to transform on my cul-de-sac. If it wasn't for most of these houses being in bad condition and my father having to work a lot, you'd have to all cram into an ally to be able to meet like this."

Jazz smiled. "That's why you need guardians, huh?" Jazz teased, "Your usually all defenseless when your daddy's not home, any kidnapper could just waltz up and swipe you off the street."

I growled, "Watch it! I know how to defend myself, and I also know were there's a baseball bat, I'll put some dents in you." Prowl chuckled, seemingly happy that, for once, it was Jazz that was receiving the sharp edge of my sword and not him.

I smiled at Prowl and Prowl tilted his head slightly, confused at the fact that it was him I was smiling at. "Fine, you can join me in school, but no cheating." I glared at Jazz, who tried to look innocent, "Even though you have _calculators_ built into you, it doesn't mean you can use them. And no surfing the web for test answers, either." I added and Jazz frowned, his 'ears' drooping.

"Aw, man." Jazz moaned, joking around. I glared at him and Prowl chuckled.

"Well, then, what's the names you put yourself in as?" I asked.

"That's the problem." Prowl explained, "We don't know what we should put for our names."

Jazz flashed a small grin. "We were hoping that you would be so kind as to help us out with that." Jazz added.

"Well, it'd help if I knew what you'd look like...." I told them. They nodded their heads and transformed into their alternative modes. Then their holograms shimmered to life and walked over to me.

They were a younger version of the holograms I've already seen them use. I walked up to Prowl's and took in his white-blond hair and blue eyes, thinking hard. I frowned slightly, and turned to inspect Jazz closely. His fair, dark skin and black hair that was pretty long. His blue sunglasses sat on top of his head, and he flashed me a white smile, blue eyes light with relaxation.

"Prowl, you look like a James, and Jazz, I'm not sure about you...." I trailed off, narrowing my eyes at him, unsure of a good name.

"Why can't I just stick with Jazz?" He asked, shrugging.

"I guess, if you really want to." I sighed and shrugged.

"Or, you can come up with a name beginning with a P for Prowl, and I'll snatch James from him." Jazz grinned.

"I guess you could pass as a James." I shrugged, "But what can I possibility call Prowl that fits him and begins with a P?"

"How 'bout Peter?" Jazz asked, looking at Prowl and nodding slightly. "Yeah, I think he can pass as a Peter."

I sighed. "Why didn't you two just name yourselves, then?" I asked, irritated.

Jazz grinned, flashing white teeth again. "'Cause, where's the fun in that?"

"Okay, Jazz, just make sure you stay clear of me during P.E." I grinned mischievously at him, and Jazz frowned slightly.

"Oh," I remembered, "and if someone named Erica greets you, don't shake her hand."

Jazz frowned, puzzled. "Why not?"

I grinned at him, "Sorry, can't tell you."

Jazz tilted his head. "Why not?"

I flashed him a devious smile, "Security reasons." Prowl burst out laughing at my retort.

"Wha?" Jazz asked, confused.

"You had it coming, Jazz." Prowl chuckled. Jazz frowned, looking a little upset that he was on the receiving end of his little comment this time. Prowl and I just laughed at him, enjoying the moment as much as possible, before Jazz gained his bearings again. Jazz chuckled, then vanished.

Prowl joined him a second latter, opening his passenger door for me to climb in. "Let's go to school, don't want to be late on our first day."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter: 23

"Hey, Alexis," A red hair girl with almost neon green eyes and a few freckles on her nose greeted me, "Who's your friends?"

I smiled friendly at her, introducing my guardians to her. "This is Peter Abot," I gestured at Prowl's holomatter form, then Jazz's, "And this here, is James, _Spaz_." I spat out a mockery of the last name Jazz had chosen for himself, which was his real name. Jazz glared at me.

The girl chuckled. "Nice to meet you two." She held out her hand to Prowl, who looked at it as if a gun would sprout from it and shoot him.

"This is Erica," I informed, "One of my best friends."

Erica frowned and looked at me, questions forming in her eyes. She finally lowered her hand and smiled at Prowl.

"It's nice to meet you, Peter." Erica hesitated, and then tilted her head. "How strange..." She muttered to herself.

Prowl and Jazz looked at me, as if asking 'is this girl a physio-path?'. Erica seemed to inch closer to me, and her gaze held even more questions. "I can't read them..." Erica frowned.

"What do you mean, you can't 'read' us?" Jazz asked, confused.

Erica shook her head, "Oh, nothing." She smiled softly at us. "I see your friends are not one for handshakes..."

There was a silent question in what she said, 'what are you hiding?', I smiled softly.

"And you all must know something," Erica frowned again. "That's why you didn't hug me after the three day weekend. And also why everything you touched that I was able to pick something up from all I got was 'don't think about it, don't think about it'."

Jazz's eyes widened and I glared at him. "What are you _talking _about?" Jazz finally burst out, staring at Erica as if she had just pulled her head off.

Erica grinned, and, before any of us could stop her, she had Prowl's hand in hers. Prowl stiffened, unsure of what to do. I knew it was too late, and just watched for Erica's reaction. Her eyes grew wide, and she seemed distant.

"A _telepath_?" Prowl asked in amazement. I frowned, and looked at Prowl, wondering how he managed to find that out as quickly as he did.

Erica looked at him, seeming very interested, "How'd you figure that out that quickly?"

"I'm, pretty good at that kind of stuff." Prowl shrugged.

"Ah..." Erica smiled slightly, "It's very nice to meet you, Prowl." Jazz looked stunned. Erica grinned, "It's about time I met an Autobot, for once."

Everyone but Prowl grew stiff. "How'd you know about the Autobots?" I asked, fear creeping into my body.

Erica smiled at me, softly, "Because, I've come across a few Decepticons before..." Erica announced, and Prowl looked curiously at her as the rest of us stiffened even more. "And one of them, actually, was a telepath, too."

"Soundwave..." Prowl muttered, and Erica nodded.

"Yep, and now he knows I'm a telepath as well, and I picked up a thought from him that was how human telepaths were impossible, unless they were somehow related to a Cybertronian who was a telepath." Erica looked Prowl in the eye. "I need to hid, he's looking for me. He picked up on the fact that _both_ my parents were telepathic, too, so he figured I may be of... use, and he wants to experiment on me."

I looked at her, eyes widened in horror. "Prowl, she needs to be taken to the Autobot base, _now_, and she needs to be assigned a guardian." I whispered frantically.

"So much for not having any more humans involved in this war." Jazz muttered under his breath.

We took off, Jazz and Prowl taking the lead and slipping behind their wheels. Erica and I both got into Prowl, since he had a back seat and we could both fit in with Prowl's holomatter driving.

"Nice ride." Erica commented, buckling herself in.

"Thanks." Prowl muttered, unsure how to respond as he took off, following Jazz. "This is going to be a while, so, feel free to take a nap." Prowl told us, not bothering to look back. He turned his holomatter off and used just his hologram, not wanting to waste energy on it if it wasn't needed.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter: 24

I looked out the window as we neared the base, wondering who was going to be assigned guardian for Erica. I tilted my head slightly, curious as to if she would need two or more guardians. Erica was looking around, seemingly not as amazed as she would have been, and she had a glint of excitement in her eye.

I gasped slightly when I felt like my neck and ears started burning. I reached up and grasped the necklace, it didn't feel like it was burning hot in my hands, yet I felt as if my skin was melting where my jewelry sat against it. Prowl's hologram looked back, concerned and worried about what was happening.

I felt dizzy, and my vision blurred, a red coating seeming to overcome my eyes. I let out a moan, and I heard my friends worried questions as if they were light-years away. I could hardly feel Erica's hands grasp me to keep me from falling over.

My head then had a splintering pain that seemed to slice through my mind. I went to grab my head in my hands, but they felt like lead, and I couldn't lift them. My eyes seemed to cloud over fully, and all I could see was a red haze.

I couldn't see nor feel either Prowl or Erica, and suddenly had the feeling of floating, and I felt almost weightless. The burning increased and spread through out my body.

_Is this how my mother felt when she was transformed?_ I couldn't help wondering.

Then my vision cleared and I dropped like a stone, onto a metal platform.

_How'd I get here?_ I asked myself, confused, _Am I dead?_

I reached up for my necklace to touch bare skin. _Where's my necklace?_

I panicked, looking around for it, and a possible threat. I checked my ears and my earrings were missing, too. I frowned, and tried to figure out where I was, and how I got here.

"No need to panic, Alexis." A firm, feminine voice soothed from behind me. I turned around quickly, and narrowed my eyes, trying to see who had spoken. I couldn't see anyone.

"Who's there?" I demanded, shouting in the direction the voice had come from.

"You don't know me personally, but you've heard about me." The voice answered.

A black-blue female Cybertronian with swords at her hips, about just a little bit shorter then Barricade, stepped out of the darkness. She had ear-like horns curving upwards out the top sides of her head. Her eyes shone a light blue through a dark, almost-purple visor.

"Who... who are you?" I asked, awed.

The female gave me a half smile. "I'm Oceansurface, one of Barricade's best friends back on Cybertron."

My jaw dropped. Wasn't Oceansurface killed by Prowl?

"I understand that Prowl has admitted what he has done?" Oceansurface half asked. I nodded my head. "I'm not here alone."

Just then, a deep shade of blue detached itself from the shadows. It was another female Cybertronian, but she was smaller. She had similar, smaller horns that curved downward instead of upwards, and it was a more sudden curve as well. She had a black visor over what seemed like white-silver eyes. She grinned, and I noticed she had an array of guns and other weapons attached to her.

"Sapphire..." I whispered, gasping at the two femmes.

"Yep." the deep blue femme replied, grinning at me. "I hear that O.P. has admitted his fault, and they both claimed that if they could go back in time and fix it, they'd do so in a Spark pulse."

I nodded my head, curious as to why they were telling me this. "Why are you telling me this?"

They grinned at each other. "I heard that there's this human telepath in need of protection." began Oceansurface.

Sapphire nodded, "Yeah, and I wanted to meet another telepathic, and a human one would be cool."

"It was always our destiny to protect Erica." Oceansurface announced, "And we're planning on fulfilling that destiny."

I was shocked.

"You mean...?" I stuttered, completely and utterly dumbfounded.

"Yep." Sapphire grinned, "We're coming back to the land of the living now, it'd be nice to see Barry again."

Oceansurface grinned at the mention of Barricade. Sapphire smirked at her older sister, who, in turn, blushed slightly, if Cybertronians could blush.

"Yeah, 'Cade'll hate ya if you call him that, though." I giggled, feeling cautious about Oceansurface.

"'Cade?" Oceansurface asked, surprised, "Wow, he never let me call him that."

I grinned, "I guess I'm just lucky."

"I approve," Sapphire said to Oceansurface, who shot her sister a furious look, "'Ey, 'Cade can't stay in the past forever."

I frowned at the two Cybertronians, utterly confused.

"You approve of what?" I asked suspiciously.

"Oh," Sapphire giggled slightly, "Nothing, really."

Oceansurface looked away and blushed slightly again, "Of all the others, I approve, too." She muttered under her breath. "We'll meet you on the other side." She then added, before I felt the pain again as everything started going black.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter: 25

I slowly started crawling back into consciousness, feeling slowly seeping through out my body again. I blinked my eyes open groggily and was met with three worried faces looking down at me.

"She's conscious." Erica informed unnecessarily. "What happened? I couldn't pick up anything from you."

I groaned and tried to sit up. Erica instantly reached over and helped me into a sitting position. I stifled a hiss of pain as my head seemed to implode again. Erica didn't seem to have picked up on anything from touching me, for she frowned in frustration and her forehead wrinkled in concentration.

"What happened?" Prowl asked, looking unsure of what he should do.

"Where's 'Cade?" I asked, ignoring everyone's questions.

"He wasn't with us, remember?" Jazz asked, concerned.

"Is he nearby?" I asked, looking around the area.

"I'm not sure, he's more then likely not near—"

"_You two have Alexis with you?_" Barricade's question over the comm-link interrupted Prowl.

"Barricade?" Prowl asked in surprise, "You're nearby?"

"_Of course, I couldn't find Alexis at the school, so I followed you._" Barricade explained.

"Yes, she's here." Jazz answered for Prowl, "Had a little incident, but she's fine now."

Then I heard police sirens off in the near distance, and frowned. I looked over my shoulder to see a rapidly approaching police cruiser, red and blue lights dancing on top of it. It seemed to be going impossibly fast to be a normal everyday car.

"'Cade" I beamed, looking back over to catch Prowl and Jazz looking at me with curiosity. They quickly looked up at Barricade's approaching form when they noticed I was looking at them.

"_**Alexis!**_" Barricade shouted as he transformed close to our little group. I smiled weakly at him. "What happened!"

"We were just trying to find that out." Jazz informed, crouching next to me again.

"My jewelry felt like it was burning me, and the pain caused me to pass out." I half lied, not wanting to tell anyone about me meeting Oceansurface and Sapphire.

"That's not good..." Prowl replied, activating his holomater and having it come and crouch next to me. "Let me see."

Prowl slowly reached out to touch my necklace, and then carefully took the charm into the palm of his hand.

"So...?" Barricade pressed, pacing back and forth. "Anything wrong?"

Prowl frowned. "Not a single thing seems wrong." Prowl informed, letting go of my necklace and 'disappearing'. "I think you should take your jewelry off, Alexis."

"Why?" I asked, frowning.

"Because, I have a feeling something worse than what just occurred will happen, and that the jewelry has something to do with what just happened to you." Prowl explained.

"It shouldn't cause any harm unless every last bit of the power is reunited." I retorted, defending my only connection I had left to my mother.

"It may react to being near another piece of ore that holds some of the power captive." Jazz pointed out.

Erica, who was pacing to and fro behind me, suddenly came to a stop. I could sense curiosity radiating from her. She bent down and started rummaging through the debris of what was once probably a tall business building.

"Huh..." she muttered, awed by something she had found.

"What is it, Erica?" I asked, having known her long enough to know that she had come across something interesting.

"Someone seems to have lost a beautiful silver anklet." Erica trailed off, "Prowl," her voice was urgent.

Prowl bent down to see what Erica held in her hands. Erica reached up and Prowl carefully took it between his index finger and thumb, and his eyes widened in surprise and horror.

"What's wrong, Prowl..." Jazz trailed off as he noticed the markings on the metal. "Shoot..."

"Serenity?" Barricade whispered, reading the Cybertronian on the anklet. Barricade walked over to get a closer look at it.

"We should give this and the rest of it to Preceptor..." Prowl decided, moving the anklet to the middle of his palm.

Then there was a blinding flash of light from the anklet, and everyone shielded their eyes. When it was safe to look again, the anklet was gone.

"What the...?" Prowl looked taken aback. "Where did it go?"

Erica suddenly shivered. "It's alive, and it wanted to reunite with the rest of it." Erica announced with dread.

I immediately lifted up my pant leg to expose a shiny, silver anklet wrapped around my left ankle. I frowned, wondering how it had managed to wrap around my ankle without me noticing. Barricade was at my side in a split-second.

"That's not good." Jazz muttered, frowning at the anklet that was now refusing to budge, not wanting to be removed from it's new home.

"Your mother was wrong." Barricade suddenly muttered, looking at Prowl, "or it grew enough to be separated again, for there are two pieces of it still missing."

Jazz frowned, wondering how Barricade knew what my mother had claimed in the first place. "I told him." Prowl answered Jazz's unspoken question. Jazz frowned, then nodded.

"How do you know how many pieces are missing?" I asked.

"I can feel the power radiating from the metal, and it feels short of much more then a ring's worth of power." Barricade explained.

"He's correct." A familiar feminine voice sounded from behind Barricade. I looked up and saw Barricade was frozen with disbelieve. "I've heard that I've been missed. Thanks to Prowl, announcing that if he could go back and fix it he would do so in a Spark pulse, I've been granted leave to walk amongst the living again."

Barricade recovered, stood up, and turned to face the black-blue colored femme. Red eyes met almost-purple, visor-covered, light blue ones. Barricade almost stopped breathing.

"Oceansurface?" he whispered, utterly shocked and dumbfounded.

Oceansurface grinned, nodding her head. "It's nice to see you, too, Barry."

Barricade frowned, "You spoiled the moment." he muttered.

I giggled and Oceansurface looked a little surprised. "Told ya he didn't like being called that."

"I highly doubt that my sis could get away with 'Cade." Sapphire pipped up, coming from around a still standing wall. She flashed a smile at our group. "What's wrong, Prowl? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Oceansurface laughed. "'Course he does." Oceansurface walked over to Prowl and pulled him into a friendly hug. "What? Didn't you miss me?"

Oceansurface then came up to Barricade and gave him a hug, too. Barricade seemed to go stiff.

Erica slid up next to me to touch Oceansurface, then Sapphire, who had stayed behind her older sister. Erica seemed surprised when she touched Sapphire, and kept her hand on her leg a little longer then needed, probably asking a few questions of the Cybertronian telepath.

And then Erica brushed her finger tips softly against Barricade as she came to stand shoulder to shoulder with me.

She grinned over her shoulder at the two sisters.

"I, too, approve." Erica murmured.

I froze.

"Approve of what?" I asked suspiciously.

Erica grinned, "Your choice."

"What...?" I asked, confused. Erica waved it away, and I frowned.

"Let's do this thing." Sapphire grinned at her older sister.

"Why are you two here?" Barricade asked stiffly.

"We're here to become Erica's guardians." the two Cybertronian sisters announced at the same time.

Barricade frowned, and then sighed. I put a comforting hand on his leg, and he relaxed and smiled down at me. I grinned back up at him.

"Just to let you know, Jazz..." I turned my attention toward him. Jazz looked at me, then at Barricade, and then gave me a little smile. "Wink at me again and this," I pulled a golf ball, which I had slipped out of my backpack, out of my pocket, "will be replacing your eye so you _can't_ wink."

Jazz smirked, "Ya know I was just playing." He pointed out, before winking his right eye at me, transforming, and driving off.

I growled and hurled the golf ball after the rapidly retreating Jazz. I heard shattering glass, and noticed that I had managed to hit his back window. Everyone started laughing as they transformed and followed the now cursing silver Pontiac Solace.

**_Authors Note: Sorry for the heck of long wait guys! But here you go!_**


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